Capro Espiatorio
by Sofimiscat
Summary: The Vongola has a secret; one shield who shoulders the weights of their sins every generation, their precious lamb. Now comes the end of a cycle and the new boss, Giotto, Vongola Decimo has to decide his fate, and that of his family. AU G/27. :::::SEQUEL UP:::::::
1. Prologue

**Title: Capro Espiatorio (means scapegoat)**

**Summary:** The Vongola_ has a secret; one shield who shoulders the weights of their sins every generation, their precious lamb. Now comes the end of a cycle and the new boss, Giotto, Vongola Decimo has to decide his fate, and that of his family. _

_**Warnings:**__ T beware of violence, death and swearing,(^.^)._

Humans commits sins, it's a given. Sins accumulate, like memories, like heavy stones that slowly bend the strongest backs. And people in the past noticed how the accumulated sins caused disgraces, and sickness and dead.

So, they discovered a solution for their woes, whispered by faceless shadows… a solution, a shield. One day, every year, they gave their sins to a goat, the most innocent one in the flock, they adorned the animal´s coat with papers and tablets, containing their greed, betrayals, murder, and lies. Then they chased the animal out, to the desert, with bells, and yells and screams of joy they expelled the bearer of the sins and then they rejoiced, because now they could start again with light shoulders and clean eyes…

**Prologue: Four hundred years.**

The tradition of the scapegoat is now part of folklore, an amusing legend to tell children, for the times changed, and the people forgot tales of spirits and demons, and the warnings in them. But others remembered the tales, and the traditions, and the power inside.

Four hundred years for a Mafia Family to exist and prosper is a strange thing, four centuries of continued glory and almost absolute power more so. Nine generations in the Mafia brings forth enough sins and hatred to eventually destroy the family.

Three hundred and sixty years ago when accidents, sickness and bad luck began to overwhelm the family, the first boss of the Vongola was approached with an answer and a solution:

The disgraces where caused by their sins, they said, the blood and hate of their enemies contained a powerful curse… A lost bullet, a bad step, small accidents and bad luck could often overturn the course of a battle.

So, what could he do? How to stop something as intangible as bad luck?

"The solution," said the two masked women who approached the boss, "is to either stop the sins and make amends, or if you prefer… bring forth a shield."

The First Boss of the Vongola stared at the women. The mafia was a ruthless world. He wanted peace and for his family to be at ease, but at that moment and time, to stop violence, to stop fights just by wishing it was a laughing matter. He had tried already after all…

"Tell me about this shield, Cervello."

For his family, he would do anything…

For generations, a rumor spread among the Mafia: the Vongola had a mysterious amount of good luck and lack of misfortunes, except for the first year when a new boss was designated. For months, bad luck was a too innocent description for the things that occurred to the family. Then suddenly, the accidents, sickness and bad omens came to a stop, as if a mystical curse was suddenly lifted from the family.

The Vongola possessed a strange power that every boss controlled: "Capro espiatorio" was murmured among the families; a shield to misfortune, when asked directly, the current boss in the family would just smile and deny the whole thing.

However, among the Vongola protected by the omerta, the most sacred code of silence, the Vongola members were subjected to a vow in the anniversary of their joining of the family, or coming of age.

'_To protect the Capro espiatorio'._

Four hundred years since the Vongola was born, the tenth boss was to be designated among 5 candidates, the five sons of the current boss, Timoteo, Vongola Nono. His two oldest were born a year apart, the third three years later, born from a mistress, fifteen years later an unexpected fourth came in the form of a adopted one, one year later the youngest was born. He had named him Giotto in remembrance of the first boss who founded the family; for when the small baby had opened his eyes, Timoteo had seen the eyes that every morning stared across at him across his office, from the painting of Vongola Primo.

Timoteo had ruled the Vongola for forty years, now, the time to choose a new successor suddenly became pressing, "they" had told him that one or two years where left at most… the decision came between his adopted son Xanxus, and Giotto. The two were strong and promising, but only one possessed the blood necessary for the continuation of the Family… and the contract. So, with a heavy heart and fully conscious of the problems that would come in the future, he put his signature at the bottom and stared hard at the ink that proclaimed his successor.

"Nono, I'm sorry to interrupt but the Hospital called." said Coyote, his storm guardian, who looked at him with sad eyes. Timoteo exhaled slowly and clasped his hands to stop their trembling.

"Is she…?" He asked and cleared his throat, and stared at his guardian and friend who nodded solemnly. "She is deteriorating…" The ninth boss bowed his head and breathed once, twice.

"I will inform the family of this." He said finally. His friend looked at the finished letter on his desk. "Have you come to a decision then?"

"Yes, as things are, I cannot detain the inheritance no more…"

The guardian nodded and excused himself, giving his boss the privacy necessary to write a very difficult letter. Timoteo raised the pen, feeling the metal contraption suddenly horribly heavy. With careful strokes he started the announcement to the family and allies of the Vongola. The protection of the Capro Espiatorio was coming to an end, so measures should be taken until the inheritance of the new boss of the family and his choice.

He stared once more at the words feeling detached somehow. He closed the letter and imprinted his dying will flame into the letter, it would given to Coyote who would take it personally to be read once by certain individuals and then destroyed. He sealed the letter proclaiming the nearing dead of his wife and called for his guardian once more.

Ten times a new boss came to be. According to Agrippa, "ten is called the number of all or universal, and the complete number marking the full course of life." With the tenth, a circle is fulfilled, and a new beginning is uncertain.

Vongola Decimo, Giotto, is the designated one to rule the empire.

The Vongola_ has a secret; one shield who shoulders the weight of their sins every generation, their precious lamb. Now comes the end of a cycle and the new boss, Giotto, Vongola Decimo has to decide his fate, and that of his family. _

_tbc  
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_This chapter was betaed by Sinful Emerald on July 2012 :)  
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	2. Chapter 1

Not mine, not making money from it... you know... the sad reality. So, no sue please!

**This chapter was betaed by Sinful Emerald (Yes, you may bow to her.)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: The day we met.<strong>

In the bowels of the main house of the Vongola, an emergency meeting was quickly becoming a brawl.

"You don't understand the situation Aidan! Without 'it', the family will be too exposed," screamed a wiry man with blond ash hair and a heavy moustache.

"Ha! Maybe your division will but for fools that depend on pure luck, it is to be expected," sneered another heavily scarred man across the table.

The blond snarled at his rebuke. "What is that supposed to mean? My division is immersed in fights every day, while your worthless people are comfortably sipping your fucking teas in London!"

"That is enough!" said a deep voice. Coyote Nougat, Nono's right hand glared at the congregation of twenty men and women at the table containing the principal ten divisions of the Vongola, the closest five allied Famiglias, the CEDEF and their three divisions. As well as, finally, one messenger from the Cervello.

" Alampi, you should remember that "it" is the wife of our boss," Nougat said to the first man, the one who had screamed his complaints. "And we don't know how long she will be able to endure this sickness. Yesterday it was months, now the doctors are talking about recovery if things go well."

"With all due respect, storm guardian, considering her position, it is unlikely that such a thing can happen," murmured a middle aged man with heavy black eyes.

Nougat ignored him. "The doctor's opinion is the same, if she is able to endure a few months and make it through her current state; her lifespan may be a little bit longer, with some care... years, maybe." Nono said to the man.

He gestured to the woman seated at his left, her face emotionless and eyes concealed behind a black mask. "The Cervello have expressed their opinion and also suggested a… remedy, her burden can be lifted for three months, but only once, during this period will the curse be unleashed."

"It sounds perfect to me Nono. Why are you hesitating?" asked the head of the CEDEF, Iemitsu Sawada.

"Because we are on the verge of conflict with the Camorra families…"

A heavy silence answered his proclamation. Controlling the whole region of Campania; the Camorra Famiglia was not a light threat.

"Still, Don Timoteo, I believe that we are strong enough to withstand this conflict. Your chosen successor is too young to be able to inherit, no?"

The boss of the Vongola nodded and stared fixedly at the man. "Giotto is just nine years old, and Xanxus, while strong, will not be able to form a contract. _Right_ Cervello?"

The pink haired woman nodded, "The contract with the Capro Espiatorio must be made with Vongola blood. No other is acceptable. The succession of the rings is debatable, the contract isn't. This is an undeniable fact."

She continued "The… curse can be halted for three months for a price; Vongola Nono has already paid it. Three months for the Capro Espiatorio to regain her health, after that she has to claim the burden."

The table erupted in whispers at that, and one chair screeched as his occupant rose. "Nono! What have you done?" Cried Iemitsu to his boss, forgetting the formalities.

He received a sharp glare from Coyote for his outburst "That is not of your concern, head of the CEDEF!" scolded the Storm guardian.

"The question now, is if to grant this reprise to the Capro Espiatorio or risk losing the protection for years until the Inheritance can be safely completed."

Iemitsu stared at his boss, suddenly noticing the heaviness of the creases in his face. He seemed older, much more than his real age. "If the... price is paid already... then I think we should do this. The Vongola is strong enough to withstand this war, even without its shield."

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><p><em>Four months later…<em>

"And this is my cute, lovable, little son Tsunayoshi," presented Iemitsu with a wide grin and the proud countenance of a gloating father. Behind his left leg, one could see a small head with soft looking and wild brown hair. A fist holding the pants for dear life and a shiny black shoe was all that could be seen of the boy.

Iemitsu smiled at his shy son and looked at his curious audience. Seated in a chair and looking extremely interested was Giotto, his future boss. The kid was now ten years old and his resemblance with the first boss was more and more clear. Except for the sky blue eyes he was a carbon copy of Primo. Tall for his age, he had a strong air and presence.

At his side was his mother; Alessandra Edmonda, a tall woman with long blond hair and a delicate air. One could have called her beautiful if not for the too pale skin and tired face. She had been sick for many years now and the battles for her health had left the woman frail and wiry. 'Such a strong name for such a gentle woman', thought Iemitsu. One thing no one could deny was the kind spirit within Alessandra.

"Iemitsu, welcome, we have been waiting for you."

She spoke in a low tone, her voice raspy from her last visit to the hospital. The CEDEF leader smiled at her and scratched his head. "I apologize. We were delayed a day… the plane had some troubles…"

The woman nodded with sad eyes. "Iemitsu… I heard the news… I'm truly sorry," said Alessandra covering her shoulder with her shawl.

She had a guilty look on her face and Iemitsu smiled lightly at the woman. "No matter what some fool may say Alessandra, it's not your fault. You are not god, my lady. What happened… if anything, it is my fault… I was too careless."

Iemitsu glared at a painting of a bird while trying to control his shaking hands.

"Iemitsu, no! You wanted the best for your family, she knew that," tried to argue the woman, but she could see that words would not suffice to cure this man's heart. Instead, she smiled at the boy who was now peering at his father, noticing his change in mood.

"Tsunayoshi is going to live with us?"

The boy made a high sound between a gasp and a whine and hid again. Iemitsu nodded. "With the Camorra's attacking us, I cannot leave CEDEF. And I don't trust Tsuna's safety with anybody else. Nono offered and I have run out of options."

He lifted his son to his chest, but the child hid his face against his neck. "If possible I would have liked for him to never learn of this world. But with what happened…"

The woman smiled sadly and looked at the child in concern. "I promise that he will be taken care of. But,what about his language? I can speak Japanese, Giotto and a few members of the family also can but the ones who reside in this house can only speak Italian, French and English."

She asked out of concern and the CEDEF boss looked troubled as well. "I have been teaching him some words, since we had to hide for two weeks. Oregano said that at his age he can learn languages better. Until then, I hope that we can be patient."

"I can teach him."

The two adults looked at the blond boy who was still trying to catch a glimpse of the other boy. Giotto looked at Iemitsu with an easy smile. "I'm in domiciliary arrest now, so I can help Tsunayoshi until then."

Alessandra looked half amused "Giotto! You´re not under arrest, it's just that things are very dangerous right now. You know what happened to Enrico… Your father is just being cautions."

The boy huffed but smiled at her and got closer to the father and son until he was inches from the small boy. Iemitsu knelt to give him a better access.

"Hellooou… I'm Giotto," he said in awkward Japanese, poking the boy softly with one finger. Huge caramel eyes stared at him. They got even bigger when a small duck made of soft flannel appeared in front of him.

"This is Antonello and he used to be my friend, but now he tells me that he wants for you to take care of him. What do you say?"

The boy finally uncurled from his father and wasn't he a little adorable thing? Huge eyes and fluffy hair and rosy cheeks, it was like one of those kids that appeared in Christmas cards dressed as elves.

"Ano-leo?" asked the small boy, not making a move to take the toy.

"AN- TO- NE-LLO." He repeated slowly, punctuating each word with a peck of the stuffed duck to the small nose of the child, who at first seemed ready to panic but then giggled as the soft material bounced on his skin.

"Antonello, Antonello!" He laughed at last. He had such a sweet voice and contagious smile that it made Giotto laugh with him.

"Yes! You see Antonello? I told you that Tsuna-Chan would love you."

He nodded seriously to the duck. "He was worried that you would not like him," he whispered mysteriously to the boy while making a huge show of covering the duck's ears. 'They have ears right?' Thought Giotto.

Tsuna looked at the boy who had at first looked scary, like the big cat from the old lady who sold flowers in the market. He had the same big, brilliant eyes and he also moved like it. But it had scratched him once, so he was a little scared of the boy at first. Now, he was nice and was even giving him his duck friend, which didn't seem scary at all, and was kind of soft too… "I like him… he is nice," he finally said with a burst of courage and with gentle hands, he hugged the toy as if it was a real duck and afraid of hurting it.

"Mmm," nodded Giotto with a relieved grin. "Yes. I think you will be a good friend for him. Would you be my friend too?"

Tsuna was now very perplexed. Usually bigger boys didn't like to play or talk to him but this 'G-giottou' seemed to be different from the others.

Giotto suddenly felt nervous as the small boy stared at him in a very serious and assessing way, as if evaluating him, then tilting his head to the side as if contemplating his decision. Then the child smiled and Giotto felt his lips widening in response to the sunny grin.

"Yes!"

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><p>Alessandra entered her son's room and smiled sadly when she saw the tear streaked cheeks of the small boy that her son was embracing. Tsuna had been with them for one month already. Iemitsu had remained for one week more to help Tsuna to adjust but it was not nearly enough, especially after what had happened in Japan.<p>

He was only five and had already seen something that no one should. Giotto however, had adopted the boy under his wing and protected him fiercely. By now Tsuna seemed almost resigned to live in the mansion and was slowly but surely getting into the hearts of everybody.

After Giotto had returned to school, the boy usually spent his mornings with her, who patiently taught him Italian and English. Then Giotto would return and Tsuna would follow him like a lost duckling for the rest of the day.

She closed the door softly and gazed at the full moon that seemed to barely float above the trees surrounding the mansion. The small boy was adorable and terribly sweet, and just as clumsy and a real scaredy-cat. He was too shy and at the same time curious enough to get in a lot of trouble.

A small tremor caused by the cold wind made her leave the window, she could not risk being sick again. She had to endure as long as she could, Giotto was still too young...

* * *

><p>Xanxus considered himself at fifteen years old, imposing. With his six foot tall and 76 kg of pure, defined and deadly muscle. In harbouring very refined reflexes and very short temper, very few managed to contradict him. When you added his mighty scowl and deep burgundy eyes, very few managed to keep a stable blood pressure around him.<p>

He prided himself of having only three possible facial gestures: pissed off, extremely pissed off and gleefully pissed off. So he encountered a fourth one while entering the main dining room after being absent from the main house from one year. He found that _HIS _seat was occupied by a small fluffy being who was now staring at him in awe while the strawberry marmalade from his toast ran down his slack fingers.

"Who are you?" He asked in his most deep menacing voice that made half the people present in the room to flee in fear.

"I'm … uh…" The boy said in a breathless whisper and didn't make a move to get out of _his_ chair. His mind processed twenty ways to finish the insolent fuckshit, ten of them involving the fork just within an arm's reach.

"Who the hell are you little trash?" He repeated himself while trying to remember a good reason for not killing the brat.

"He is Tsunayoshi, Iemitsu's son. Welcome back Fratello," Came the damn annoying voice coming from his little brother. Xanxus turned his scorching gaze to the biggest threat. Only to find the same stupid grin that always made him want to pluck some teeth from it, preferably with his bare fist.

"This is my brother Xanxus, Tsuna remember when I talked to you about him?" explained Giotto to the still frozen kid. The boy's eyes got ridiculously huge and scrambled off the chair, the remaining toast falling to the previously immaculate floor. The child DARED to come closer to him and stared at him in half fear, half awe. "Oh… you're right! He is very scary and looks very, very strong!"

The child bowed to him and had the gall to actually smile at him, SMILE! "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, Xanxus-sama!"

He continued to bow and during the third one, did it so enthusiastically that he fell to the floor with a disgusting crushing sound.

"Ah Tsuna! Are you okay?" shouted Giotto, panicking when he saw the child with a heavy nosebleed and teary eyes. Xanxus watched in slight amusement as he lifted the boy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and ran screaming for help, leaving a bewildered dinning room behind. Xanxus closed his eyes in deep mourning for his famiglia. Just what he needed! Another idiot, but knowing the father, it really wasn't such a surprise.

He contented himself with terrorizing the few idiots that decided to remain in the room to relieve some stress.

* * *

><p>Emilio Fiocco was a formidable man most days. The rest of the time he was just terrifying. With a sturdy body, silver, short hair and dark olive skin that made his clear blue eyes very menacing. His nickname "wolf" represented him perfectly. He had come out of nowhere and in thirty years had singlehandedly formed the Gesso Famiglia. His allies used to say that he had built his family with an iron fist. The others said that he had built it on corpses.<p>

However impressive his story was, it was undeniable that at sixty-five years, he was starting to decline. Fights started inside the family when a suitable heir failed to be recognized by the boss. Until one morning and without pomp or warning, he had walked to his weekly meeting with his allies with a boy about eleven years old. The wolf introduced the mysterious kid as his official successor.

"My name is Byakuran Gesso, I'm sure we will enjoy working together," the boy said with a wide grin that somehow seemed too innocent for the sharp glint in his eyes.

TBC

Thank you for the reviews received. Really hope this story is up to your expectations.

Does anybody Knows the surname of Timoteo's family? Or Giotto´s?

I CAN'T FIND THEM!

Betaed By Sinful Emerald on July 2012.


	3. Chapter 2

**Warning: Fluffy stuff ;)  
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**Chapter two: The day they took me away.**

A pair of cold violet eyes stared at the vacant gaze of the Gesso family Boss. He had put quite a fight, for being an idiot that's it. Byakuran sighed at the pale blue sky eyes, now devoid of life and will."You're going to lay low, and focus on recruitment. No more useless fights for honor." He instructed to his new puppet and the wolf of Sicily nodded and left with a bow the indoor garden.

Byakuran was still the official heir of the Gesso Famiglia. And while in other parallel universes he had already taken possession of the Gesso at the same age, he was hesitant to do so in this one. Since this time line was strangely different from the others; it was in disarray. There were small differences here and there, and the most irritating one was the lack of his little Sho-chan. Without him he could only receive random pieces of information from the others Byakuran. But he could not contact them himself. It was certainly irritating.

So, what had changed in this time-line?

A vacant smile appeared on his lips. It didn't matter really. This little inconsistencies would only make things more interesting. The thrill of a new game left him trembling in anticipation.

* * *

><p>The truth was that Giotto really, really liked his friend G. Because he was a good friend, loyal, reliable and with the courage of a Lion, even if he was a little too volatile sometimes. And was always helping him at keeping Tsuna away from trouble. Something that was a tough job, since trouble just seemed to follow the boy.<p>

He was the nephew of Coyote, the ninth's storm guardian. The red head had been his first friend and a inseparable companion since the tender age of four. Ever since G, whose real name was Gualterio, had confided to him his absolute loathing for the name. From the first the moment he had been old enough to pronounce it. So Giotto, in his full wisdom of a four years old, had declared his new friend to be known therefore as G. The Mafia, wary of defying one of the the Vongola Nono's sons, complied with the strange demand.

Giotto was at the moment staring in amusement at the panicked face of his friend. G was trying to detach a wailing Tsuna from his leg, while at the same time attempting, unsuccessfully, to comfort the poor boy. "What happened now?" He finally asked and his friend stopped his efforts at tugging off the child to look at him in panic. "He bumped into Xanxus" Replied G, with a shiver at the memory. "And?" Prompted Giotto, equally wary at the directtion of the story.

"He glared at him, so Tsuna declared that Xanxus was Hungry and gave him an apple" Explained his friend and Giotto flinched at the words. "What?" Asked the blond in slight panic, he could imagine the look in his brother's eyes. "Did he do something to Tsuna?" He questioned in a preoccupied tone."Then Tsuna gave him his apple" Continued the other boy with a befuddled stare, not pausing in his tale. " And then this creepy guy that was with him; the one who likes to dye his hair in those funny colors, came and made these squealing noises to Tsuna and talked about frills and bows and screeched like you can't imagine. And this other guy; the one who is always tailing your brother with that disturbing fanatic face, tried to spear the squealing…. it."

"He hurt Tsuna?" Said Giotto in barely contained confusion. "No! The Chihuahua did" Clarified his friend, which didn't serve to make him understand. "The Chihuahua…"

"From the lady!" Almost screamed G, his face rapidly paling at the memories. "What lady?" Asked a truly confused Giotto, not seeing head or feet from his friend's tale. "You remember the representatives from the New York Famiglia? The ones that were supposed to come today?" Asked G while still trying to calm Tsuna, who, at the word Chihuahua had stopped crying, and breathing.

Giotto nodded cautiously, already dreading the end of the story. "So the spear guy... Levo-something just let the thing fly and the group just had to fucking pass! And then the shots started, and you brother took his guns- you know how he gets- and one of the Americans was carrying this tiny dog he threw it. And the mongrel went flying through the air in the explosion." The teenager paused in his tale, sliding down the wall to the floor and cradling Tsuna in his arms. Like one would a teddy bear, and continued. "…And then Tsuna decided to flee. And the dog crashed into him and of course this got him into his fleeing-mode so Minky decide to chase him..."

"Minky?" Asked an incredulous blond, half amused half horrified at the tale."Minky, the dog. Minky is its name…" Clarified G and continued horror story "And Tsuna attached himself to me, and the small-fuck of a dog attached himself to Tsuna, and yes that's what happened." As if on cue Tsuna resumed his wailing and G continued his absent patting, his mind still deep in the memories.

Yes, Giotto liked a lot his friend G. It would be difficult to find someone else who wouldn't go mad after a week.

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><p>Iemitsu glared at the too thin report from his best men. It consisted of ten measly pages without a single scrap of new information, he glared at Oregano who looked as irritated as him. "Whatever they're doing, they're doing it quietly, because no one has anything to say about the Gesso these days…" Mumbled the woman while taking back the report.<p>

"This isn't like Emilio at all… No bloodshed, no loud declarations of supremacy… It's worrying me." Said the head of the CEDEF. The, almost ready, treaty of peace with the Camorra had been a cause of unending pride for him, but while focusing on it he lost sight of other threats. "Perhaps the rumors of him being sick are true." The statement left a bad taste in his mouth; he felt as if he was playing a game of chess while trying to use a backgammon board. It just didn't fit.

"Sir, perhaps we should lie low and focus on the Estraneo family…?" Said a wary Oregano and Iemitsu felt bile rise in his throat at the memory of the room they had found in one of the Estraneo's safe houses. They had dared to use Vongola's people in their twisted experiments. The Estraneo had crossed the line by miles this time.

He grabbed the other report, if only they could find one of the accursed forbidden bullets, they could involve the Vindice. He sighed and looked at his subordinate "Use the newbies to scout outside the mafia, keep an eye on the Gesso. Cut all ties with our spies and let them mingle. And please, warn them this time; if they get in trouble no help will come to them. At least not fast enough…Concentrate for now on the Estraneo." He said finally, he was grasping at straws but something about the Gesso family made him nervous. Above anything he confided in his intuition for helping him to navigate in this fog.

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><p>The first time Giotto had seen Tsuna asleep in Xanxus lap; while the other had been napping, he almost had a heart attack. He had snatched away the boy in a burst of speed and efficiency that took less than a blink. The second time, he had almost managed to save him when a pair of annoyed red eyes stopped his hands millimeters away from the body and the barrel of a gun pointed to his face. Wisely he backpedaled and closed the door in silence.<p>

When he questioned Tsuna about the incident, suggesting to him that, perhaps, napping ON Xanxus could be detrimental to his well being. And, after explaining to the six year old what detrimental mean, the boy had seriously explained his motives. "There was this monster under my bed and another in my closet, and I couldn't take my nap, and since everybody is scared of Xanxus-sama...I thought that not even the monster under my bed would win, so I hid under his bed" Said Tsuna with a solemn air and then pouted "but he caught me! And I told him about the monsters and he said that I would be warming his bed since the chimney wasn't working. So now I sleep there when the monsters are searching for me!"

Ignoring the sheer wrong ways that Xanxus's statement could be misinterpreted in, he nodded. He couldn't find a good way to contradict the logic of the child. Because, yes, human or monster, it would require a small army with suicide tendencies to even injury Xanxus. So he patted Tsuna in the head praying at the highest powers for his safety.

* * *

><p>The wine glass exploded when a bullet impacted the fragile object. The red wine trailed to the floor in a mock of a river of blood. The Boss of the Estraneo family stared with barely controlled fury at his main Scientists."What do you mean by 'more time' WE DON'T HAVE MORE TIME DAMMIT!" His heavy fist made a dent in the hard polished desk and his almost crazy eyes made his subordinates sweat even more." …W-we have some promising subjects, but we only have five specimens left… they're not enough… Sir. If we could acquire ten more, then the probabilities…" Mumbled one of the men, who looked ready to kneel over at the oppressiveness of the room. It was not uncommon for the boss to kill somebody in a rage these days after all.<p>

The Estraneo's Boss glared at the cowards trembling before him. His family was being hunted like weak animals each day. All for that traitor who sold information about the forbidden bullet. One moment they were powerful and untouchable, and the next, they were labeled as mad and a risk to the mafia world. "The other families are calling for our blood, grab those new subjects from wherever you want. It's just a question of time before the Vindice is involved." He said in disgust and a hint of dread in his words. "I want my soldiers ready by the end of the year, ten, twenty subjects, I don't care. I want results, do you hear me?"

* * *

><p>When Tsuna was seven, he had been officially presented to the Famiglia as Iemitsu´s son. And to the allied Families in one huge garden party. All the families with young members were encouraged to assist with their shining buds, which just made Tsuna even more panicky-prone.<p>

Giotto for his part, received his friend Cozart Shimon with a wide grin and a hug. Since he had not seen the other boy for almost three years, because the other had been studying in England. They had kept in touch by phone and letters, but seeing each other in person was just invaluable. While G was his partner in crime and his right hand. Cozart was the brother of his soul. He had known the boy for eight years now, and they had been inseparable from the very first meeting. Until his friend was taken to another country.

The Shimon were a small, poorly known family, and unease had extended when the close friendship of the two boys came to be. Ladislass, Cozart's father and current boss of the Shimon, took his son away to protect him from the jealousy and angry whispers.

Still, their friendship had endured the time and distance, and now they started chatting as if only days and not years had passed since their last encounter. "Ah! Giotto this is my brother Enma! You remember him?" Said and enthusiastic redhead "Well, his mother sent him from Japan to visit us, isn't he cute?" Giotto stared at the small boy behind his friend, remembering the small half brother that his friend always talked about. The child was hiding behind the leg of his brother, clasping tightly the fabric. Feeling a déjà-vu moment Giotto smiled, an evil-cunning plan starting to form in his mind."Wait! He must meet Tsuna! Wait here! I will find him!" Said the blond, leaving the two red haired boys staring at his back.

He returned five minutes latter carrying a small boy under his arm, who had a defeated air around him and hanged limply from his arm. Cozart seemed to caught up with his friend's plan and he grabbed his brother, and in almost perfect synchronization with the blond, deposited one child in front of the other.

One burgundy pair of eyes widened at the sudden movement and stared back at the child with huge caramel that looked as surprised as he was.

Cozart and Giotto watched as the boys stared at each other. After the first fifteen minutes the two friends dragged a pair of chairs, and G joined them after smuggling some food and drinks from the buffet tables. After thirty minutes, Cozart pulled out a deck of cards.

" Uh…" Cozart let his hand of cards fall to the ground at the unexpected sound, he watched in fascination as the brown haired one emitted the promising sound. "Eh…?" Answered his little brother tilting his head to the side. The other boy copied him and he unconsciously inhaled sharply.

Giotto, the ever resourceful one, gave Tsuna a pair of lollipops and nudged him gently while G gestured wildly with his hands to the little redheaded one. Tsuna seemed to take his sweet time to process the whole thing, moving his eyes from the candy to G to Giotto, to his playmate.

Finally with a determined gaze, and sweaty hands almost crushing the confections, he rose to his feet with the visage of one ready to slay a dragon. The child covered almost half the space separating him from the other boy, who was staring at him in a mix of curiosity and apprehension. So little Tsuna gave another step only to fall on his face in the process. Surprisingly, Enma gave a concerned shout and also stood up, but apparently, the position he had been kneeling in had made his legs to fall asleep. He collapsed backwards letting the juice his brother had give him during the staring contest soar through the air.

Cozart had a theory; his brother had been an evil entity in some remote past life, or at least had seriously offended some ancient god, because the child was prone to the most uncanny accidents since little. So he watched, with almost detached interest, as the flying juice landed just on top of Ercole Molinnelli, who was famous for his very short temper and very large rampages. 'And just who thought it was a good idea to invite the man today?' he moaned inside.

He also noted in awe, how, in his epic flailing fall, his brother managed to get tangled up with the brunette. Who was also in the process of getting up, and who in his panic had somehow hugged his brother's legs managing to make a human rolling ball with a screaming Giotto following them right to the table that was holding a sparkling tower of wine Glasses.

A small groan from G made him detach his eyes from the rapidly forming chaos and he managed to ask quietly to G "So… is this a common occurrence?" The other teenager just stared at him with a pained face and nodded solemnly. "You see.." he said in anxiety "Enma has this… bad luck. And if somehow Tsuna is like him, I think it was not such a good idea to introduce them." He winced when the first explosion came to be, and the enraged voice of his father called to him, G gave him a somewhat pitying gaze. With the calm of a man resigned to his fate, Cozart took off the chain around his neck and also everything on his person that he could accidentally stab himself with. He had learned to do so after Enma second birthday.

When the order was regained, and the smoke started to clear, revealing the beheaded, half melting ice sculptures that were sinking in a dramatic parody of the end of an Opera. And when the hired clown, that didn't even had the chance to make an appearance, was rescued from among the remains of the dessert table and given a full glass of cognac and a blanket. Cozart continued searched for his little brother in company of Giotto; who was sporting an singled shirt and a black eye courtesy form the "bloody Jack" himself.

He evaluated his own body, noticing only small bruises and perhaps one broken rib. Giotto made a victorious shout when he lifted a mantel revealing two huddled forms underneath the very sturdy garden table, that used to hoist one of the ice sculptures. "Tsuna! Enma! Are you okay?" Asked his blond friend and he peeked from behind taking in the visage of the two boys.

The two were hugging each other and trembling like two captured rabbits. Tsuna had his hair plastered to his head, drenched in some kind of sticky liquid, and he was missing a shoe, but otherwise looked complete. Enma was covered from head to toes in a mixture of mud and red feathers that looked eerily similar to the feathered boa he had seen one of the ladies wearing, his hair looked a little bit singed but he also looked relatively unharmed, completely traumatized, but physically fine.

He smiled at the two boys "Do you want to come out of there?" Two panicked squeals and shaking heads were his answer, so he gave a signal to G who was at the other side of the table covered by the mantle. While Giotto continued to distract the boys G acted. As fast as a snake and with the precision of a practiced child kidnapper G hoisted the two boys up, who panicked and latched themselves to him like two monkeys to his mother. The right hand of Giotto of the Vongola started rubbing the backs of the children in a practiced fashion and started walking to the main house followed by the two heirs of the mafia.

After the lovely party, Tsuna and Enma became best friends. Spending a whole week hoisted up in Tsuna's room or hiding in random closets and cupboards. After a very lengthy discussion with the two boys, Giotto managed to make them join civilization once more, but the chaos-pair was formed and became a legend in Vongola.

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><p>Tsuna stared in awe at the Christmas decorations surrounding the mansion, it would be his second Christmas and he was beginning to love the season. There were real candlelights everywhere, delicate glass and gold angels here and there holding baskets of dry fruits and nuts and small confections. Long and silky fabrics and ribbons traveled the long stairs, while tinkling bells sang when a door was opened.<p>

The Christmas season was an important one in Italy; even among the mafia, and the decorations in the Vongola's Main house were always in par to the royalty. But this year there was more effort put into it since there were strong rumors that the Boss would spend the season in the main house with his family. He had been absent for almost two years, dealing with the conflicts with the Camorra, and only making frugal appearances in the house.

Tsuna didn't really know the man. To him, he was the Father of Giotto and The Boss that everyone seemed to respect and admire. However, he was excited to the occasion, perhaps his own father would come?"Ah! Young master Sawada! What are you doing here?" Said one of the maidens, Laura, she had come from the Vongola branch from Spain and had been working for three years in the house.

"Laula! Hello!" The small brunette smiled under the pile of coat, scarf and hat that Giotto had trapped him in, he had to turn his whole body around, since the too long too tick scarf impaired his neck movement. The maid smiled at the sight. "I'm looking at the tree! It's Huge!" Said the child, the maid nodded, in the front entrance they had planted and enormous Christmas tree and now it was being adorned with thousands of small and delicate decorations. It certainly looked spectacular.

"Are you going out Laula?" Asked the child, and then she remembered the difficulty the child still had to pronounce the 'r' letter, she nodded and indicated to the big basket that hung from her arm. "We run out of some things to finish the decorations on the hall, and it's too late for the provider to send them." Tsuna smiled in glee, she was going to the place were all the pretty things came from? "Uh… Can I come with you?" He whispered hopefully, all bright eyes and flushed cheeks, the woman hesitated, it was only five blocks away not too far.

She remembered the orders stating that the boy was to be always be accompanied with someone capable of fighting. And while she could take care of herself; being a was requisite to be an employe at the house, but she wasn't up to par of a bodyguard. "I promise to be good! Pleaase?" Her resolution melted at the look of the kid and she found herself nodding. It would be a simple errand after all. What could go wrong?.

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><p>A black van coursed the city of Milan, inside, three haggard looking men and three women in long dresses and heavy coats were cramped in the small space in the back, along with eight unconscious, and bound children. One of the woman smirked at the smallest of the children. He had been a bonus catch. The child had been completely distracted while looking at the colorful street display of a choir of angels. While the woman at his side was busy checking out a long list in her bag, it had took her only three seconds to drag the kid under the folds of her coat and administer the sedative, and a minute to drag him to the van waiting in the corner.<p>

"Just move! You stupid asshole!" Growled one man, divesting himself from the too large coat he was wearing. "Shut up!"

The driver looked back at the group. "Is that the last one?" The woman grinned at him, her face smug and relieved at their luck. "Yes, now let's get out of here" One of the men looked pale and shaky, he kept staring at the children as if tempted to release them, he finally kept his eyes to the front, ignoring the image. "How many do we have?"

"Eight, but this one looks too weak to me. Perhaps we should leave him. He doesn't looks promising…" Answered the woman, her hand brushing aside a lock of sort brown hair.

"Leave it, even failures are useful to learn more" Growled the driver, desperate to be inside a safe place.

They finally had their subjects.

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><p>Two months later.<p>

In the main house gloom seemed to be the predominant emotion. The head of personal sighed while a crew took off the fancy decorations from the canister. Lady Alessandra had locked herself in her room after the news, and the young master Giotto had become silent and moody. Even master Xanxus had fled the house in a storm of fire and yells. it had been almost two months since the disappearance of little master Tsunayoshi. After the horrified maid had returned from the streets, the house had become a veritable chaos.

The maids talked for weeks about the enraged leader of the CEDEF that had almost beaten to death the head of security of the main house. Who was released from his duty twelve hours later. The maid had been sacked with a heavy threat over her head and pitying glances form the rest of the staff. But really, who would leave the son of the CEDEF alone, in the middle of Milan, when the war with the Camorra was still unresolved?

Giotto, for his part, clenched his hands in impotence and rage, he swallowed the scream of anger that wanted to come out. He would always remember the twelve of December, when after returning from school he had found that his precious Tsuna had been taken away from them.

TBC

Somehow I'm feeling that this story is going in unknown paths... anyway I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and that nobody fells bad when Tsuna is found dead ... just kidding :)

To the reviewers Thanks, you just made my day I would respond to everyone but I'm short on time , and I think that you would appreciate more a faster update. right? Still, I'm grateful for your comments! Kept at it - go -go.

Till next time...


	4. Chapter 3

**Warnings:** Death, mentions of torture, death by fluffiness. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer.** I don't own KHR, I don't even own my own story since I haven't registered it… I'm sad now… ¬¬

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><p>.<p>

**Chapter 3: The day I met the darkness**

Tsuna opened his eyes slowly and winced at the pain in his body. He whimpered at the marks in his arms from the needles. His skin was a mixture of red, purple, green and blue, he didn't like those shots, they made him nauseous and his head hurt a lot whit those. He winced when his arms started feeling too hot. As if burning from the inside. It subsided in a minute and left him trembling and strangely thirsty.

Across the room a movement caught his attention, his cell mate was awake. When he woke up in the small room, after his kidnapping, he had remained quiet and drowsy, confused at the place he was in. And the first thing he had seen was a single blue eye staring at him from under blue locks of hair. He had tried to talk to the other child, but he had not received an answer.

Tsuna tiptoed to the other boy and noticed that he was trembling as if too cold. The boy had been dragged out the room the day early that day and was dragged to the cell hours later. The men in the long white cloaks had dumped him unceremoniously in the plain mattress across his and left. The boy with blue hair looked to be in pain, and his lips were blue tinted. The brunette noticed that the other had a new eye patch and that the skin around it was red and inflamed. Tsuna suddenly felt sad and scared for the his cell mate.

He didn't understand what was happening to them. Where he was? Why them?. Silent tears blurred his vision but he kept silent, the only time he had dared to cry in front of the other boy, he had fixed him with a one eyed glare that had made him shut up in an instant.

But now, the boy seemed to be in a lot of pain, one trembling hand touched a pale arm and Tsuna felt the skin cold and clammy. Surely that was bad?. So Tsuna did the only thing he could do to help; he climbed the mattress and hugged the boy with careful stroked the head like Giotto did with him when he had a nightmare. The trembling boy opened one glazed eye and tried to glare in his direction, and Tsuna hummed one of the lullabies that Aunt Alessandra had taught him. The boy stiffened for a second, but then relaxed in his arms. Taking this as a good sign, he continued the action ignoring, the pain and tremor in his own injured arms.

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><p>"I hope, for you wellbeing, that this time everything is fine?"Asked the boss of the Estraneo. The head of the research team hid his hands behind his back, in an effort to conceal his trembling fingers. "Yes sir, with the new subjects we have been doing a steadily progress, Number 8-b seems to be very promising. Even though <em>it<em> looked weak at first glance." He watched as the terrifying man went through his report, until he came to desired page. "He has a flame? A sky flame?" He sighed when the man made a pleased sound.

"Yes sir. It was surprising, especially since he seems… well weak. But we are trying to bring it forth; we have managed to get some bursts lately. Also number forty six-A has finally integrated the implants. We had trouble with the second incisive, but they have come along nicely. We need for it to scab over, and then we can start to fine tune the other 'chanels'." He noted with relief as the eyes of his boss lost the murderous intent and became interested in the report in his hands. "What about number 69? How is he coming along?" And his luck ended with that question.

He intertwined firmly his fingers to stop the shaking. Showing weakness now would only serve to enrage further the man. "He...well we are confused about him really. Sometimes we get high readings of a mist flame from him, and the implant in his eye is completely integrated, but every time we tried to activate it, well... it becomes messy sir."

"Clarify messy for me" He barely surprised a shiver at the tone. The scientist gestured to the man to go to the end of the report. " The readings start to climb up nicely and then he seems to hallucinate and convulse. Until now we have been unable to stop the process once it starts. Every episode is slightly different in time and intensity. We caught him screaming in a different language once, however, every one ends the same.."

The eyes of his boss widened slightly as he read the report. The man knew exactly which part he was reading. The boy ended dead after every episode, no sign of cardiac, or brain activity. Then he would suddenly breath again after twenty minutes, long past the ability of the brain lo live without blood flow. The first time, they had been expecting a vegetable at the very least. Yet, the child seemed to be mentally intact. It was scary to watch. "I see… It could be a useful ability… Perhaps the seventh time will do the charm?" Said his boss in a commanding tone, so he only looked at him and nodded."Once more then, if you don't find something useful this time, make sure he is dead at last. I have no use for resurrecting boys" Said the man and threw the report at his face. He excused himself and left the room suppressing the desire to run.

The head of the Estraneo smiled, things were finally looking up for them. The Vongola had suddenly stopped the war with them; there were rumors that the leader of the CEDEF was in quarrel with the ninth. And his soldiers were almost ready. Yes, things were finally looking up.

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><p>Iemitsu was at his wits-end. He couldn't remember clearly the last time he had sleep more than three hours, or ate anything besides coffee and a hasty made Panini that Oregano would force on him. But he refused to stop his chase; he knew that the more time Tsuna went missing it was less and less likely to rescue his child.<p>

It had been two long and torturous months. He had even suspended the final signing of the peace treaty with the Camorra. When the Famiglia started making ridiculous demands and petty excuses.

He chocked on his coffee when he continued reading the last report. His heart stopped and he saw red when he assimilated the words from one of his men. He had felt anger many times, but he had never felt this kind of hate before. His world narrowed at one objective and one clear path: The Estraneo would become less than ash by the end of the day.

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><p>Tsuna glared at Aoi until the other finally opened his mouth. Smiling the brunette pushed the spoon past the previously closed lips. Tsuna winced in sympathy when the boy tasted the lukewarm, brown puree they were given as food every day. Two times a day through a flap in the door. The thing tasted less horrible if left to become cold in the icy room temperature, but the texture would then become gag inducing.<p>

The blue haired boy shook with suppressed disgust at the food and Tsuna took pity on him and gave him water, leaving the half finished meal by the door. After giving up on making the boy to talk to him, Tsuna had just given him a name: 'Aoi' -Blue- in Japanese, as he had explained the other boy. For the color of his visible eye.

Three more times the other boy had been dragged out of the room and every time he came back cold and trembling. Every time Tsuna would cradled him and comfort the other to the best of his ability. He would take care his cell mate, rubbing stiff and cold limbs and feeding the other until he could recover the movement of his arms, which usually required three days.

The boy with the eye patch for his part, was intrigued by the small boy who tended him with gentle hands and was always smiling. The brunette was dragged from the room every three days, and he was always returned in the same condition: a silent and passive mood as if half sleep or deeply drugged. He would curl in his small cot and stare at nothing. Sometimes, his eyes seemed to become a bright pale orange, as if burning, then and just as suddenly, it would fade to a dull caramel once more. The boy usually stayed in this state for half a day. Then he would blink and look around like a lost puppy, until his eyes found him. The small boy would then smile at him and chatter away once more as if nothing had happened. But he could see the immobile arms and the trembling legs, and the pained winces the boy let out once in a while.

Tsuna, he had told him. It was a somewhat cute name and it fitted the small being. At first, he had ignored the boy, sure that he would not last a week. Now, two months later the child was still alive and Aoi was even more intrigued at the child. One morning Aoi had woken up form one 'session', expecting the cold and stiff trembling muscles and the nightmares to start. Instead he found himself enclosed in warmth, and someone giving soft touches to his head. There was a small voice humming off-tone lullabies that were more appropriate to babies that to his ten years. But he had been too tired and too cold to care, so he finally drifted off to sleep without nightmares.

'Perhaps I will take the boy with me when I leave this hole…' He considered. At the thought of freedom his throat seemed to close up and his hands clenched. He could feel the anger and hate under his skin as if it was a living beast prowling under the surface. Ready to attack at the smallest chance. He was getting sick of being in this place. His plan was almost ready, he could feel it, the power in him, the whispers in his ears and the burning of his hate consuming all hesitation for destroying the ones he had called family once.

"Aoi?" The huge caramel eyes were staring in concern at him. "Are you okay?" Really, this boy was very intriguing. There wasn't even a hint of hate in the clear eyes. Even thought the child looked tired and scared, only when the scientists came for him, Tsuna would scream and his eyes would narrow in rage.

"Are you feeling sick again?" Asked the child, frowning cutely at him. Tsuna put his small hand on his forehead checking his temperature. "You're warm… Giotto said that it was not good to be too warm" Said the boy taking a dirty piece of cloth that they used to clean themselves, and drenched it in the small bucket of ice cold drinking water.

"Here, put this on your forehead." He took the cold cloth without protest, because it really felt good and dulled his headache a little. The boy smiled at him, with that little idiotic smile that somehow left him feeling less bloodthirsty. He smiled at the boy and chuckled internally at the delighted laugh that it got him. The first time he had smiled at the small boy, he had been so shocked and flustered that he had almost, _almos_t!, made Aoi chuckle.

His musings came to an end when the door of their cell opened and the dreaded white coats appeared at the door. No! It had been only two days! He was not even recovered from the last time. "No! Leave him alone!" Screamed Tsuna. The boy hugged him, shielding him with his small body. Tsuna had been taken just that morning and he was nowhere strong enough to put a fight.

There were two men. Tall, with hard faces and emotionless eyes. One of them off ripped the small boy from him and then pinned Tsuna to the floor by his arms, aggravating the fresh punctures in them. The boy screamed in pain and rage, his scared eyes looking at him in despair. "Stop hurting him! Please! He is not fine now!" The boy was trashing around for all his worth, while the other man clasped his hand to pull him out the room.

"Aoi! No! Leave him alone…." Sobbed the boy and kept struggling "PLEASE! PLEASE! **STOP IT!**" Screamed the tiny boy, which had, somehow, become important to him. A disgusting snap and a scream of pain filled the room and he looked back to find the child biting his lip to stop a howl of pain. The right shoulder looked deformed and the arm was twisted and trembling. He felt the monster inside him snap out of its chains and his heart skipped a beat when the man gave a sharp tug to Tsuna's arm to relocate the shoulder earning another scream of pain for the now sobbing boy.

Strong and cruel claw-like fingers closed on his shoulder to take him out again, and the monster inside him opened his jaws in preparation for the kill. Then he saw a flash of light and heard a chocked scream behind, he turned to see a blurring ball of flames pass by and slam into the other man grabbing him.

He gasped at the sight of the small Tsuna staring passively at the man under him, his small fist engulfed in a brightly orange flame; just centimeters away from the now unconscious man's head. His eyes were flickering between caramel and a jewel-like orange. Clear tears were still escaping from the eyes, and then, the boy gasped and looked at him in confusion and anguish only to fall unconscious the next moment.

The blue haired child smiled gently at the boy and with effortless grace walked to his cot, he lifted the measly cushion and took out form under the mattress a trident. He had painstakingly made it from whisps of mist flames. Every day since the first time he had discovered his illusions. It was a very condensed type of mist flames, kept tight with his resolve, blood and hate.

He came closer to the man who had hurt the little brunette and raised his weapon making an arch in the air, staring with an amused eye at the rapidly escaping blood from the man that had hurt his poor Tsuna. He passed over the body and calmly struck at the other man. Chuckling softly at the men he had once feared. He left the cell, lifting the small body of the other child over his shoulder.

The beast under his skin rejoiced at the freedom, delighted at the sight of the crimson blood of his offenders. It was time to play outside.

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><p>"What did you say?" Screamed the head of the Estraneo his eyes crazy and teeth clenching. "The Vindice and Vongola are here?" A panicked young man was in the monitor. Behind him a series of explosions could be seen and heard. The man seemed to be about to faint. "They came five minutes ago, they are killing on sight. We can't hold them back!" An explosion appeared behind the guard and the communications failed. With an enraged shout the boss opened the main communication channel, they needed to retreat for now. "All the men, retreat to the main house, protect the low levels with your miserable lives!"<p>

He cut the transmission and grabbed a black phone with a direct line to the low levels, a panicked voice answered. "Help! Please send help! Everybody is dying here!" Said a desperate shout behind the line. "What?" Asked the head of the Estraneo. Surely they couldn't infiltrate the house so fast? "What the hell is happening down there?"

"Please send help! I don't know wha….." The line died the next instant and he screamed in frustration and rage, he opened his cell phone and dialed once more. "Moria! Take your team and twenty men downstairs the code for the door is '6996'. Find the _figlio di puttana_ who is there and eliminate it!" He closed the phone and took his two guns from his desk, he opened his door almost yanking it off his hinges and nodded to his personal team that immediately fell to his back. He would show those bastards of the Vongola the might of the Estraneo.

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><p>Iemitsu Sawada was a name respected among the Mafia. He was an independent and obscure part of one of the most powerful families of the international Mafia. The CEDEF played in the shadow of the conflicts and mostly did it behind desks and phones and computers. But once in a while, they would engage in battle. Accounts from this rare events declared the leader of CEDEF and his team as fast, clean and deadly.<p>

But no one had seen the man in full rage until the day the Estraneo family fell. The man had entered and infiltrated the house in a record time of ten minutes. Even faster that the Vindice and had shot down the boss of the Estraneo with a single, well placed bullet, without giving the man time to open his mouth. Then, he had led his team to the basement where they had found an internal war between the Estraneo, and carnage inside of the lower levels. The place looked to be a mixture between a medical facility and a house of torture.

He had emerged from the place with his team intact and four children. One of them cradled in his arms like the most precious treasure in the world. When he had almost killed the doctor who tried to examine the child, they had given him a wide berth to the helicopter that transported the party to a safe house.

Incidentally it was the fall of the Estraneo that made the Camorra families to finally sign the peace treaty.

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><p>When Tsuna opened his eyes, he saw one blue and one red eye staring at him calmly and amused. "Aoi! He tried to say but found his mouth dry and only a raspy whisper escaped it. "Hello Tsunayoshi Sawada. Please, call me Rokudo." The boy stared in confusion at him and gratefully accepted the cup of cold blessed water that was pressed to his lips "It's my name, Rokudo Mukuro, at your service."<p>

"Mukuro…" Smiled Tsuna. Happy at finally knowing the name of the one he considered a friend. Then, he panicked and looked fearfully around the darkened room, remembering the last time he had seen his friend. A pair of arms enveloped him and the face came closer. "We are at the Vongola. Your… father came to help us." Mukuro grimaced in disgust at the admission. He had eliminated the scientists and some of the other monsters, but then, a new group of the Estraneo had arrived. Leaving them in a tight situation. He had not used his new power for such a length of time and his two companions were just as weak. So perhaps they had been assisted by the Vongola…

"Dad came?" Asked the child in a quiet voice. He remembered waking up once, hearing shouts and feeling the smoke burning his lungs. And he remembered his father´s face, but he still wasn't sure that the man had been his father; the face had been too thin and scary…

"Are you okay?" He finally asked Mukuro who blinked at him and then chuckled at the boy. "Yes, let me introduce you to the other two. They're like us you see…"Across the room he could see two other figures hunched in another bed. Two pair of eyes stared back in curiosity at him. One boy, tall and lanky and with a poker face came closer to examine him. "Hello Tsunayoshi" He said in a plain voice and after that a blond boy appeared at his other side, watching him warily and… sniffing at him?

"They're Chikusa and Ken, they were there with us, although you never had the chance to known them." Mukuro explained."We saw you, several times, but you seemed to be… out of it most of the time." Explained the tall passive one, and Tsuna nodded and came closer to the sniffing one. Tsuna squinting his eyes at him. Mukuro compared the image to a bunny staring at a puppy.

The brunette for his part found the two boys familiar. Like meeting someone you had only seen in dreams. "I-I think I know you, but… well nice to meet you!" He finally said to the other boy, before hugging the life out of Ken making the other boy freak out in embarrassment. "Agh! Let go of me –pyon!" Screamed the boy and Tsuna let him go and looked at Chikusa "Pyon?" He asked in confusion and the other boy patted his head. "He has some problems with proper speech, please excuse him."

"What was that you idiot?"

"Are you okay? You're not injured?" Asked Tsuna, circling first Chikusa then Ken. Searching for injuries. He noticed a lot of bandages and the smell of antiseptic on then, and he winced at the sight. "You _are_ injured…"

"Don't worry Tsunayoshi. Those responsible are death." Said Mukuro in a happy voice and Tsuna stared at him in surprise. "Dead?" The other boy nodded and Tsuna felt his eyes tearing up. The blue haired boy patted the head of the smaller boy and asked in confusion "Oya, Oya! Are those tears of joy?" The small boy shook his head and clutched the hem of his new shirt. "…No, I just… I don't like when people die… it makes me sad."

"Even if they hurt you?"

"I…yes…"

"Even if they hurt US?" The boy sobbed and nodded. "I just wanted to them to stop. I'm happy that you're alright, but it's still sad… I didn't like them! and… I know they were bad people. I just feel sad… I don't know why, sorry" He said miserably and looked at his friend with guilt. "I'm sorry…" The boy laughed at that and grabbed the boy in a bone crushing hug. "Mmmm, I think you're naïve and a little idiot Tsunayoshi, but that's what makes you so fun! Kufufufu"

The boy half-glared at the words. "TSU-NA" Said a sniffling child, the blue haired boy stared at him in confusion. "What?"

"Call me Tsuna! Tsunayoshi is too long… and I don't like my friends to calling me that!" Said a very indignant boy. Mukuro once more chuckled in amusement. "Oh? Kufufu are we friends now?"

"Of course!" Say a bewildered boy as if responding to a very stupid remark. "And Ken a Chikusa also! They're your friends, so they are my friends also, right?" Ken sputtered and blushed and threw a pillow at the boy which missed his target by at least five foots. "Hey! Who wants to be your friend shrimp!" Chikusa calmly picked up the pillow and nodded slightly. "That's fine by me…."

"Kufufufu, they're my subordinates Tsuna, but they can be your friends I suppose" Finally declared an amused Mukuro. Tsuna smiled, pleased at the verdict and started bombarding Chikussa with questions and kept trying to catch Ken to give him a friendship hug. The blond kid seemed half terrified half mad at the strange child.

Chikusa watched in amusement and wonder at the boy. He had seen the boy trashing in pain and fear every time the bastards punctured his arms, and would wince when the small body would twist and convulse as the drugs were pumped to his veins, leaving the child limp and pale in the metal table.

After the first 'session' He had thought the child too small and weak to survive that place. But survived he had. The boy seemed a bit skinny and pale, perhaps a little bit jumpy and wary but not the catatonic doll he had expected. CHikusa looked at the one he had pledged his loyalty. Vongola had helped them, true, but it had been Mukuro-sama who had destroyed the monsters. He would follow Mukuro, no one else.

"Aghh let go, let go! Stop it! Mukuro-sama!" Tsuna had finally caught the other boy and started to coo at him like one would to a cute dog, which made the other boy go beet red, somehow Chikusa got the feeling that the blond boy was secretly enjoying himself.

Mukuro smirked and tripped the blond boy, making him and Tsuna roll around in a squealing mass of limbs. Yes his little underlings were such fun toys.

"Kufufu…"

**TBC**

According to the KHR manga Mukuro was 10 yrs when he escaped from the Estraneo Family and it was them who designed the bullet of possession.

Anyway any observation, is greatly appreciated..

Next chapter: **The day We learned**…

-Bows- Thank you for the reviews.


	5. Chapter 4, PART 1

Hello again, I had to cut this in two, since it became **huge**… it was reborn's fault, he demanded a bigger part in this, of course I **could not** deny him…

Enjoy.

**Chapter 4 The day we learned...**

**Part1: about our resemblances…**

Iemtsu was sure that he had passed out for at least fifteen minutes during the meeting. After leaving Tsuna into a safe house with Oregano and a team of fifteen; all with express orders of a complete lock down. And after seeing to the boy's injuries he took them all into a room. Then, he left to the headquarters to give his report and discuss the findings.

The meeting consisted of the Ninth, the full of his guardians, and the Boss of the Cavallone; who had assisted with interference with the police during the assault. He had left a team led by Tumeric to analyze and recover any information about the underground facility. After that, the mansion had been burn to the ground. The Vindice were supposedly pissed off at him for shooting the Estraneo Boss, and had taken the twenty survivors as compensation.

"Iemitsu, I think that no one here would raise a complaint if you wish to rest instead of being here…" Said the Ninth with a concerned gaze. The head of the CEFED only grimaced and straightened his spine.

"No… I want to know what those... men were doing in there. Only my team saw that place Nono. It looked just like the House in Trieste. I need to know if they did something to Tsuna." The Ninth flinched almost imperceptibly at the name, but nodded and continued hearing the explanation of the second brigade that had participated in the assault. Coyote was reading the report with a pleased expression at the results. "On the whole, the final count is five men of the Vongola, twenty eight injured; only two who needed hospitalization, neither at dead risk at the moment. On the Estraneo we have fifty three casualties, most of them in the first series of explosions. Thirty five in the underground, and it seems that only twenty of those by our hands…" His eyes rested on the leader of the CEDEF "Care to elaborate on this part Iemitsu?"

The head of the CEFED frowned, but nodded at the man. "When we went into the underground, it was already in chaos; it looked like an intern dispute. From what we could see they were fighting each other. When we finally found the main room we encountered a group of fifteen men surrounding three struggling children and an unconscious one…" He paused to recover his voice, the memory of the still form of his son on the ground still fresh in his mind. "We eliminated the threat and took out the children. A portion of the facility had collapsed previously, so we only managed to recover some information. Tumeric and his team are analyzing it right now."

As if on cue the tall man entered, carrying a bunch of papers in his hands. Without pausing, he took out only two of the copies, presenting one to the Ninth and one to his own boss. "I think that this information should be seen by you first." He said in a hesitant tone. "It's delicate…" Iemitsu and the Ninth nodded and started reading the pages, both of them looking more and more enraged as the pages were turned.

"We found this complete report of their… experiments. We think is the most recent one. No one read it before me. The other information is on hold, pending your authorization…" Said Tumeric. The Ninth lifted his head and stared at Iemitsu asking his silent consent, the man noticed the look and nodded stiffly. "Please Tumeric, distribute these papers to everyone, I think we will need more people in this…" A chocked curse interrupted him and he saw Iemitsu paling in rage and about to break a tooth from the clenching of his jaw. "Iemitsu!" He said to the man in a firm voice. Forcibly making him rejoin the present.

The man didn't meet his eyes, just nodded and continued reading; his hands still shaking. The other men started reading the report; each one looking either appalled or angry at the words. For one of the few things that were still sacred in the mafia were family members, especially their offspring.

After everybody had finished reading the room became completely silent. Each one immersed in the words. Until the sound of a fist crushing paper made the gazes focus on the blond man shaking in anger. "Those bastards… Those miserable, motherfucking bastards! He could've h-he…"

"Iemitsu?" Said a tentative Timoteo, only his experience and position saved him from the scorching gaze. "This is very grave Iemitsu. You know what an uncontrolled flame can do; to both the user and those surrounding him. They forcibly tried to wake up his flame. We don't know what this could mean for little Tsunayoshi in the future." Said the Vongola Boss, he stood up and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I will examine his flame and try to seal it. It's too soon for his flame to be awake; especially if this report is correct… a sky flame is the most unpredictable and hard to harness."

Iemitsu looked lost for a moment, feeling dread as he remembered the accounts of those who had lost control of the flame. "What if you can't? What if it is too late to make it sleep?"

"Then we help him harness it" Answered the man gravelly. The father of Tsuna made a defeated sound, because in the mafia, most of the time things came to a do or die.

A knock was heard on the door and the head of one of Iemitsu men appeared behind it. "Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but someone found out the safe house" Iemitsu felt the ice in his veins and the new rush of adrenaline, before his tired brain took over. "How many? What is the situation inside?" Bellowed Iemitsu, his hand flying to his phone. "Sir! It's not an attack!" Exclaimed the panicked man trying to stop the influx of questions. "It's Giotto. Uh… we don't how. But he appeared there. Marjoram said that he appeared there after hearing about the attack on the Estraneo." The external adviser closed his eyes and made a face between exasperation and amusement. "I think it was pure Intuition." He chuckled, and saw Timoteo smile fondly at his side. "Let him in, BUT! only him, do you understand?"

The man nodded and left.

* * *

><p>Oregano entered the room with a tray full of food for the boys as well as painkillers. Their blood tests had come out with several drugs and unidentified substances; so the doctors approved for the use of acetaminophen only. She felt the tension her entrance had caused, but she ignored it. Making all her movements paused and calm and made sure that her hands were always visible. She calmly stared at the boys, taking in the small details for later. Little Tsuna was looking at her in almost fear and seemed ready to flee if she came any closer.<p>

Chikusa eyed the blurred person entering the room. For the last month, his vision had deteriorated drastically; now he could not see beyond three meters without it all becoming a confuse blur. But he could still see and hear the panicked gasps of the smallest boy, and he decided to reevaluate his opinion on the reaction of the boy to the imprisonment. The boy was trembling with an almost visible aura of fear enveloping him.

"Hello, I see Tsunayoshi-kun is awake at last. My name is Oregano; I'm a subordinate of your father, Iemitsu Sawada. I brought you some food and medicine for the four of you." The moment the word _medicine_ went past her lips, she knew she had committed a grave mistake. All the boys tensed and grouped as one, eyeing Her with plain aggressiveness, even the smallest one was looking at her with anger. "No!" Said the son of his boss and she opened her mouth to explain when a murderous aura behind her made her face the door instead.

* * *

><p>Giotto sprinted up the stairs when he finally was allowed to enter the house. Without asking for directions, he went up the third floor and past two false doors in a blur. Finally, he stopped in front of a concealed door hidding behind a painting of a spring field. He could hear voices inside and felt his heart lurch when the panicked voice of his little Tsuna reached his ears.<p>

"No!"

He opened the door and scowled at the sight. One member of the CEDEF was facing the door, and across the room and hunched together were a group of scowling children. "Giotto!" Exclaimed a relieved shout and the blond relaxed after recognizing the woman. Unconsciously, she stepped back at his glare. She raised her hands and left the room quietly. When the door closed Giotto turned around and collided with the small brunet that had launched himself at him. Immediately enveloping the small child with his arms.

When the door had opened Tsuna had expected to see the dreaded white coats. Instead he saw a familiar face, one that made him happy and horribly sad at the same time. His legs moved on its own accord and he threw himself to the other boy; finally letting go of all the fear and pain he had been holding in. He knew he was screaming and Giotto's arms were the only thing holding him up.

Giotto felt his own eyes blur with his contained tears at the relief of feeling in his arms the small boy that was crying and clutching him in despair. His shirt started becoming wet and he could feel every sob and chocked scream the boy made. He felt helpless; so he did the only thing he could do, he clutched the small boy to him, whispering assurances and rubbing the small back in soothing circles. Until he felt the body sag and the breath finally becoming even; the small child finally spent from his ordeal.

He lifted his eyes, acknowledging for the first time the other boys. There were three of them; two were looking at him in surprise and wariness while the third one, which made him slightly wary, openly glared at him. He gave the three of them a soft smile and continued comforting the child in his lap. At last his heart was at ease, because Tsuna was finally back where he belonged.

* * *

><p>In a richly decorated room, a lone teenager could be seen half sprawled in a love seat. Around him were several towers of papers, empty bags of marshmallows and several empty bottles of fruity Italian soda. In front of him was a small screen, in it was the image of a nervous looking man, repeating a report from one of his spies; a report that had the teenager bewildered.<p>

The teenager had a pair of headphones, listening the audio and preventing eavesdroppers "Oh? So the Estraneo disappeared? In only an hour?... well, well. And what exactly did they do to piss off the external advisor like this?" Byakuran asked amusedly, the marshmallow he was playing with getting squished at the answer.

"What do you mean by that? I hate that kind of answers you know?" The playful attitude changed and his voice became icy and sharp. "You better find out the reason or don't bother to come back alive." He cut the call and smiled at the panicked gasp that the man made. He made a mental note of having the man executed later. Knowing that the CEDEF were tricky bastards who specialized in hiding information. "But really… this is becoming even more interesting!" He discarded the now squashed candy and picked a new one.

Perhaps it would be worthwhile to learn about what the Estraneo were playing with?

* * *

><p>Giotto glared at the boy currently spooning his little Tsuna in the bed. The boy with the eye patch had declared that 'traumatized children needed their rest' and had practically dragged Tsuna from his lap and to the bed with him. Giotto allowed this with half irritation and half amusement. But when Tsuna actually relaxed and fell asleep he smiled gratefully at the other boy who only glared back.<p>

Giotto sighed and pulled a chair next to the bed and facing the door. His clear blue eyes looking over what he could of the small child. Tsuna was pale and thinner, and his usually fluffy and bright hair was now dull and limp and cut in chunks in some places. He had bags under his eyes and seemed stiff in his movements, he had not moved his arms unless necessary and when he did, his movements were slow and clumsy, as if in constant pain.

The thin arms were bandaged from shoulder to wrist so he could not see what was wrong. However, what had him more worried was the feeling inside him while holding the boy. When Giotto was twelve, they had started his lessons in managing his flame as well as fighting with it. That's why he had been surprised when, at the contact with the small body, his own flame had risen; as if answering to Tsuna. His heart had sped up and his senses had sharpened, battle ready. "What happened to you Tsuna…?" He whispered in concern. How could he help his little one?. His gaze still in the boy, he didn't notice the heated glare from a mismatched pair of eyes.

* * *

><p>The next morning Tsuna woke up in a tangle of sheets and in a panicked state. Still in the clutches of his nightmares while an equally disorientated Mukuro also struggled to wake up. Giotto, already used to this, grabbed both boys and whispered to them in a calm voice, freeing both of them from their dreams. When Mukuro finally came to his senses he slapped the arm away and left to the bathroom in a regal manner, leaving behind a bewildered Tsuna and Giotto.<p>

After that the boys had taken turns to bath and change their clothes, barely allowing Giotto in the changing of their bandages. After an uneventful meal; where Giotto proceeded to taste and eat each part of the meal first in front of the suspicious children, he left the room to gather news about their situation. He came to a stop when he encountered not only the external advisor, but also his own father and his mist guardian in the lower floor. He blinked at the image and then went to their side. "Uhm... good morning Father, Sawada-san, Croquant-san. What are you doing here?... Is something wrong?" His father, Timoteo, smiled at him and shook his head. He gave the teenager a warm hug and signaled at his companions. "No, everything seems to be calmer now. We came here because we recovered some troubling information, and we want to check on the children first."

The boy narrowed his eyes at the words but nodded. "Is Tsuna awake?" Asked the external advisor, and Giotto looked at the man. He had never seen Iemitsu so tired before. Usually he seemed to be a ball of endless energy; incapable of running out. But now he just seemed to be exhausted. "Yes, he and the other children just finished eating. Should I bring them here?" Asked the teenager with hesitation, remembering the distrustful gazes of the previous night. "They're a little…jumpy, I think the less people the better…"

"There is a tea room in front of the one they are at. Its very airy and has many windows, they should feel less trapped in there." Said Iemitsu with a thoughtful frown. "Bring them there, we will wait"

Giotto sighed at his task, now just how was he supposed to do that?.

At the end it took him almost half an hour of reassurances, negotiation an plain begging before the children acquiesced to his demands. Even Tsuna seemed half torn between the desire to see his father and intimidation at meeting THE BOSS he had only seen while being a baby and only from afar since coming to Italy.

Giotto opened the door going in first; with the children in tow, the door closing with a soft click. Giotto approved of the room; it was made in pale, soothing colors and was littered with small couches and simple furniture. There were two wide windows and the ceiling had a wide circular skylight; letting the morning light enter the room. At least it made the three men seated in front of the chimney less intimidating… except for the mist guardian; it would take a extreme make over for the man to lose his fearsome aura.

"Tsu-kun!" Exclaimed Iemitsu and the child gasped at the almost forgotten endearment that his mother had used for him. It served to make the child lose his hesitation at approaching his father. The child closed the distance and buried himself in his father's arms, hugging back the tall man. "Oh Tsuna! My dear boy, I'm so sorry. Would you forgive me Tsuna?" He whispered to the boy and hugged him tenderly. "Papa is so sorry my precious boy, so sorry"

"Papa? Why are you sorry?" Asked the boy who was now red from the hug. The man just kissed his forehead and hugged him again. "Because papa let those horrible men hurt you Tsuna, I'm very sorry…"

"Silly Papa, you saved me and my friends!" Said the boy with a shy smile and seemed to be delighted at being in his father's arms. Iemitsu looked shocked. He cleared his throat several times, blinking rapidly while trying to suppress his tears, but finally lost the battle. Settling on hugging the poor boy to near suffocation. "Oh my Tsu-kun is such a good boy!" Giotto watched in concern as the much bigger man smothered the small boy; but he smiled when Tsuna only giggled in delight and basked in the much awaited attention his father was giving him.

"Tsuna, this is Timoteo, he used to visit us… when we lived in Japan, you were this small then" He signaled with two finger the size of a peanut to emphasize his point " so maybe you don't remember that. He is my boss, and also helped to rescue you" The boy stared at the old man with big curious eyes and the man smiled at him, not making a move to approach the boy. The two stared at each other and chuckled at the same time, the way only kindred spirits can. "Nice to meet you Boss!" Said finally the small child, and Timoteo laughed at the title. "Hello little Tsunayoshi. I would like very much if you could call men grandpa since your papa is like my son."

"b-but you´re THE BOSS" Said Tsuna in a scandalized tone. As if the other man had violated a sacred rule. The three men laughed at this and Timoteo finally left his seat and approached the boy. "What about when we are alone then? Would you do the boss this favor?" The child nodded seriously, accepting the wish of the boss. The man lifted a hand and let it fall softly atop of the child's head. He closed his eyes and seemed to be in deep concentration.

Tsuna seemed to become drowsy as if half sleep but was calm and smiling absently. Almost twenty minutes passed before the man finally opened his eyes. Tsuna blinked and yawned, slumping against his father and looking at the ninth in a curious manner but without fear. "Tsuna tell me, what did you feel?" Asked the Ninth and the boy scrunched his brow. "It tickled… and it was warm, but good… and I felt very calm and safe. And my arms stopped feeling numb…"

"Your arms were numb before?" Asked his father and the child tensed and burrowed more to his side. "After they gave me the shots… they started to feel like that… I became used to it, but they're not numb anymore…" Said Tsuna yawing and looking at his arms with a pleased expression.

"Timoteo?" Iemitsu stared at his boss, asking silently for his verdict. "He definitively has a sky flame; and it was in chaos inside him. I was expecting something worst." He opened his hand and a bright ball of flames formed in it. "Do you see this Tsuna? This is a Dying will flame, do you see its color?" The child was fascinated by the flame and cautiously approached it, squealing when he felt only warm and it failed to burn him. "It's orange…" He said in wonder, he had never seen that kind of flame before. "Yes, because it has a Sky attribute. Some very especial people has these flames inside them. And you are one of them."

The child looked disbelieving and looked in question at his father. "Me?" he asked with a confused face and Timoteo touched gently his forehead. "Yes, and those men that hurt you and your friends tried to force your flame to get out, with their shots."

Tsuna scrunched his brow, remembering the pain and the time inside the cell."Oh… that's why it felt like burning sometimes?" The man nodded and the flame became bigger and smaller and then disappeared. "This flame is very special and you should not be afraid of it. But your body has to be prepared for it, because if it isn't ready you could hurt yourself or others even without meaning to."

"But, I can't do that! I never saw that flame!" Argued the child with scared eyes."We saw it." Said a monotonous voice. Chikusa looked at Mukuro in permission to explain, who nodded at him to continue. "When they… worked on you, I saw that flame sometimes, but it usually flickered away"

"Yes, because you're not old enough to use it. I helped your flame to calm down a little, but I can't make it become asleep again my boy." Said the ninth and the boy seemed to be devastated at this. "Then I'm going to hurt others?, are you sending me away?" Said Tsuna and felt his father hug him."No Tsuna, what Timoteo means is that now that your flame is awake we need to help you control it. You should not be afraid of it Tsuna. Giotto, Nono and me have the same flame as you."

"Really?" Asked the child, the fear receding from his eyes."Yes, look at this Tsuna." Said Giotto who showed the boy a fist surrounded by a much brighter, much bigger flame than the one from the ninth. However it seemed less controlled and less pure. "I'm also learning to use it." The boy nodded and looked at his hands in wonder. "You see Tsuna? now we will help you and your flame so that nobody gets hurt. OK?"

"We also need to know what to do with you three" Said Timoteo to the other children. They instantly tensed and looked warily at the people in the room. "We have recovered the files from that place, and we understand what you went through. The only people that known this are my guardians, Iemitsu here, and the boss of the Cavallone Family. No one else. I'm deeply sorry that you had to suffer through this." Said the man and looked at the children, which now seemed even more hostile.

"However, we need to help you with what happened. Just like with Tsuna. We want for you to understand and control the power this men forced on you." Explained Iemitsu with a calm and firm voice. But Mukuro didn't seem to fond of the idea. "So you want to make us weapons for the Vongola?" Asked a too calm Chikusa, while Ken was eyeing the windows and door rapidly. The ninth smiled at him and shook his head calmly. "No, that's not what we meant. We, the Vongola are in debt with you; since you protected one of us. Also, Tsuna seems to consider you his friends, for that alone you will be under the protection of the Vongola until the day you find your own place in life or become of age. If that place is inside or outside the family is up to you."

The children relaxed but the red eye was still fixed in the mist guardian who was also staring at him in amusement. "What?" Asked a wary Mukuro, but the man smirked at the boy, as if deeply amused. "I can see your flame" Said the man and the blue haired boy growled lowly, the man stood up without taking his eyes form the boy. "Even behind your barriers, as impressive as they are" his voice was deep but calm, and he seemed more amused than wary at the glare he received. "Also, I can recognize what those ignorant fools did to you. That eye was forbidden for a reason. In fact, I don't even know how they found the devices..."

The mist guardian smiled at him, dispelling the illusions Mukuro had formed around his eye, letting the eye patch vanish and leaving behind an still inflamed eye; the red iris standing out from the white of the eye."Y-you…So what? Are you going to send me to the Vindice?" Said the boy with a furious tone, his eye changing and his flame appearing in his eye."

"Oh please! I if we reported everyone in possession of a forbidden object half of us would inhabit those cells." Said the man. He seemed even more amused if possible. "No, little illusionist, I will help you to control this. Otherwise I have the feeling that you will start filling your little head with pointless plans for world domination and vengeance." Said the man in a tone of finality.

"So, my option is going back to a cage?"Mukuro Sneered at him. "Tone down the drama would you? The ninth already said that your future is yours. We just want to make sure you don't blow yourselves up or others with this power." Said Croquant and came closer. "I have seen full grown men become psychotic monsters with this kind of power. You must be pretty strong, just for the fact that you survived the process. However, that eye will swallow you and what is left of your soul if not put in a leash."

He knelt in front of the child and looked at him in the eyes. "I don't want to be part of the mafia." Said Mukuro defiantly and maintained the gaze. The man smiled and nodded. "Whatever you do in the future is your own problem. You seem to be a promising illusionist, and it's been a while since I had such an interesting project."

They stared at each other, neither backing down. "You claim to know everything about this eye, and yet you're this close to me?" Said the boy sneering, at which the other man just snorted. "And you think I would even let you scratch me? My own master designed that bullet and this eye, and he tried to use it himself. That's why I know what a disgrace of an animal he became. Little fool you are years too early to be able to even defy me." Said the mist guardian, and as if to prove it, he took Mukuro's trident form behind his back. "Even if you can make such interesting toys…"

He gave the child the weapon back and stood up once more. Mukuro seemed half frightened and half excited at the man. He hung his head analyzing the words. "Well then… don't come crying when I destroy the Vongola." Said the child unflinchingly, while being in front of the very boss of the family, and the external advisor. The man nodded solemnly and extended a hand in greeting.

"My name is Bouche Croquant. I'm the mist guardian of the Vongola Ninth, and second best illusionist in the last rating. And your worst nightmare Rokuro Mukuro." The boy sneered at him and did not take the hand, but tilted his head in slight recognition. "I don't think so; my nightmares are much classier than you".

Giotto somehow felt dread at the new student-mentor pair.

"Well then, since Tsuna will need extra supervision I have called an associate of mine to tutor little Tsuna and also Giotto, since he will be missing school until we clean up this mess." Said Timoteo in a cheery voice, and Giotto whirled around and eyed the man warily."Me too? Who?"

"Reborn of course." He answered with a begin smile, like the ones you see in the faces of those byzantine angels. Tsuna watched in slight concern as the blond went from white to red; makine sputtering sounds. And how Mukuro seemed to continue his staring match with the big man, while his other friends were busy rolling around the carpet in some kind of discussion.

His father was still petting his head in a soothing motion; and Tsuna just felt safe in his lap. Forgetting just for a moment the tiny cell and the white cloaks.

What was this Reborn-thing?

* * *

><p>After spending another night in the safe house they had been relocated to the main house. Giotto noticed that the security had been doubled, and the guards in the front door had been changed. He could also see new clocks and several new lamps, and too many new bird stands that suddenly appeared. He knew they were really offense mechanism and cameras.<p>

He watched as Tsuna played absently with his new bracelet; that his father gave thing was thin and light, with a small fish craved in the metal. It had integrated a panic button that became active when the clasp was forcibly opened and a tracker connected to three satellites, but that was Iemitsu for you.

His mother had received them with teary eyes and warm hugs. She had abstained from hugging the new additions of the house, but barely. The three other children had reluctantly accepted to live in the main house for a while. They were located in a set of rooms in the less populated part of the house, at their own petition. Tsuna had been dismayed at the announcement.

G had enveloped the small child in a desperate hug, leaving behind his rough persona for five minutes while smothering the child to near suffocation. After that, he had watched the child like an over jealous mother hen seeing his chick being surrounded by foxes. He also took an extreme dislike to Mukuro, which was reciprocated by the other boy.

Mukuro and his two sidekicks were taken away after a month. To train under the mist guardian. After a lot of whining and glaring from the boys.

Xanxus had, unbelievably, also returned to the main house at the news of their return. He had silently patted Tsuna's head and then left the room in a huff; as if exasperated with himself. Three day had passed since then, and Giotto was becoming restless for some reason. He felt really, really sleepy, but the name his father had mentioned made him unable to sleep. So now he was in his room at two am; staring wide eyed at the darkness and hearing the rhythmic tump-tump of his heart. He tensed when his door opened silently, but he relaxed at the soft steps and without a word lifted a part of his sheets to let the small trembling body enter his bed. "Shh… I'm here, it's okay…" He whispered and relaxed when the child became limp in his arms; the shaking stopping. He closed his eyes, letting the sound of two heartbeats lulling him to sleep.

TBC

* * *

><p>With this chapter and the next finalizes the happy times and we go deep into the plot.<p>

**THANK YOU! AT THOSE LOVELY PEOPLE WHO REVIEW THIS.  
><strong>

I have always wondered too what they did to Chikusa, so I will go with enhanced reflexes and modifications to his eyes.. kind of…

In next chapter the appearances of two of my favorites: Reborn and Gokudera.

Next chapter: The day we learned

Part 2: About our weakness…


	6. Chapter 4, PART 2

**Chapter 4: The day we learned**

**Part 2: About our weakness…**

* * *

><p>Giotto woke up with an horrible feeling of apprehension. He was flooded by dread and fear, as if an evil presence had suddenly invaded the house. He looked at the sleeping Tsuna at his side, and continued to watch with narrowed eyes around his room. He went to the bathroom, but continued watching over his shoulder from time to time, as if waiting for an attack at any moment.<p>

When he returned to the room he paused and did a double take; Tsuna was hanging from the ceiling in what seemed to be a fish net with a panicked and confused gaze, while a small fedora- wearing baby sipped a cup of coffee in the middle of his room. "Ciaosu my dear student." Said the baby, watching him with deep sharp black eyes, that made him take a step back in caution. He felt sweat running down his face and he watched alternately the window, the door and the trapped Tsuna who was still struggling in his upside down position.

"Don't Bother to run little Giotto, you have zero chances of making it to the door." Said the Baby and shot at rope in the ceiling, releasing the net an letting Tsuna fall to the floor. Giotto ran to him, and barely managed to catch the boy; peeling off the skin in his arms in the rug in the process. "Well, at least you have some reflexes; sadly I cannot say the same of the bunny."

Tsuna was frozen in shock, grabbing at Giotto for dear life. "What the hell was that for Reborn?" He belowed to the infant. "I didn't give you permission to use my name did I?" Said the baby in a dark tone and Giotto clenched his teeth in frustration. "And what should I call you then?" He said, because EVERYBODY knew of the dangers of making the Arcobaleno mad. "Chiarissimo Professor (1) Reborn, for starters." Answered the baby and jumped to his side, he put a gun to his temple making him freeze. "Oh? It seems that I overestimated you, well…that's why I'm here for." He said with a pitying glance at the blond.

Reborn took a remote from the deep of his tiny suit and punched the biggest button. The lights in the room dimmed and a screen appeared in one of the walls. "When did you…?" Tried to ask the teenager but Reborn interrupted him." I have been surveying you for past three days. The two of you actually." Said the baby and pressed another button; a full body picture of Giotto appeared on the screen. Small tags and pointers in it.

"Giotto Leoni; from the Leoni of Sicily. Son of Timoteo Leoni and Alessandra Edmonda De Cianti, born on January first; the same day that Vongola Primo, having an uncanny resemblance with Primo. Except for his eyes and I think height, you're one inch taller. Fifth son of the current boss." Reborn pressed the button and a image of Giotto in a blue and grey suit appeared. "Enrolled in D'Angeli Private school, average in School ratings. You portray a mediocre student; although your diagnostic exams showed over average intellect and outstanding perception and memory, good instincts and a predilection to socialization and activities relating people"

Giotto gaped at the baby and a small blush appeared in his face. The tutor smirked at this. "However, you don't participate in any extracurricular classes, have no awards. You don't even have a group of friends or followers in school, being famous for declining invitations of joining said groups." The blush spread to his neck at the words and the glare went up a notch. "You only have six friends… well I would think that only four of them call you that…. And only two of them in current residence in Italy" Giotto gaped at the charts and statistics of his last six years of education and photos of him that he had never seen before. "Have you been talking to my mother?" Said a blushing Giotto, the baby shot at him and a bullet grazed his cheek. He shut up.

"I talked to many people before coming here." Said Reborn with a mocking grin. "As I was saying... your first friend was Gualterio Diasparra; whom you renamed G." The image of a scowling G appeared on the screen. "Loyal, temperamental, and possible right hand material. Related to Nono's storm guardian; his whole family is related in a way or another with the Vongola and two other allied Famiglias."

The image changed, and Giotto saw what looked to be a multicolored blur speeding across a snowy country field. The image changed and now it as a yellow blur jumping off a plane. It changed to a very familiar mop of spiky black hair and a face half covered in a visor for snow. "Second… I don't have a nice picture, he just won't stay still…." Muttered an irritated Reborn. "Fabio Salino also known as 'Knuckles' in the extreme sport world, in which he currently participates . Born from the little sister of the actual sun guardian. His father is an associate of the Vongola in medical research, currently living in Japan. He has two other half-siblings. Currently, suspected to be sliding down in some dune in Egypt…"

A picture of a group of twenty boys appeared on the screen, all of them of a prestigious exclusive school in the heart of Milan; the same one Giotto assisted at. "Third we have Alaude Lefevre, who is the son of one man suspected of being the renegade commander of the secret police of France. The rumors say that he was forced to retire for disobeying orders. He is also the suspected half brother of the current cloud guardian."

The photo was zoomed in and at the very end of the line, almost turned around and in the shadow of the building was the image of one of the boys; a peek of ash blond hair and half of his face was what could be seen of the boy. "Currently attending the D'Angeli academy under the patronage of the Ninth himself. In his own words with the mission of 'getting to know the way of criminals'. This will be a tricky one, since he has connections with the police, the other families might object at his nomination…"

"What nomination? What are you talking about?" a second bullet punctured the carpet and he crawled behind a couch beside his bed glaring at the small hitman. "Stop interrupting me, would you? We are on a tight schedule as is it." A new picture appeared; with three boys sprawled in the grass. They were completely covered in mud and grass and had a pair of broken wood swords between them. Giotto recognized instantly the photo and the third kid between G and him. "I would recommend making this one the rain. Asari Yamamoto has all the characteristics and would be a good addition to the Family. Although, bringing him from Japan could pose some problems at the start."

Giotto felt a twitch at the slide of his friend's photos. Just who did he think he was? "Cozart Shimon, currently the official successor for the ninth Shimon I don't care about him too much, but he could be a good external advisor.."

Giotto felt a spark of irritation at the new picture in the screen. "Finally we have Daemon Rinaldi who claims himself to be the reincarnation of Daemon Spade. And has nominated himself as the rightful mist guardian of the Vongola tenth. He left for the sixth time a mental institution; after making the inmates turn psychotic and making them have massive breakdowns."That boy had been his personal nightmare since kinder garden. The boy was always appearing and disappearing at the most inconvenient of times. He didn't know if he was fond or extremely wary by the loyalty the boy had exhibit since his first meeting.

Reborn made a disgusted sound at the sight of the green haired male who was smiling creepily at the camera. "however he seems to have a genuine connection to the first daughter of Daemon Spade and his wife Elena."

A picture of a singed and electrified kid appeared on the screen, followed by one where he was completely covered in scratches and bruises. And several of him sleeping int eh most random places. "The last one." Said Reborn with a sneer. "I'm personally against this, but he has a direct heritage from the first lighting guardian. His father even gave him the same name, claiming that his son is destined for great things." Smirked Reborn with a disbelieving tone.

"Okay, stop it! I understand your point! You know every single detail of my life, fine! Stop the slides!" The baby pressed a button one last time and the room returned to normality once more. "My point is: while having gathered adequate candidates for you guardians; you have distanced yourself from the other possible recruits and new family members. But that may work to our advantage. Creating a aura of mystery around you…? Perhaps you're not as hopeless as I thought." Smirked the baby, the blond gaped at him and felt his blood pressure starting to become life risking. "Why would I need guardians for?"

"Because all the Vongola Bosses need six guardians." Said Reborn with a long suffering sigh; as if spelling things to a very slow being…

Giotto for his part, closed his mouth with a hard snap. He stared at the baby in clear confusion and turmoil; he felt his hands going cold, a heavy weight in his stomach. "D-did… when? B-but I saw him three days ago…! How? What happened to my brother?" He could feel the concerned weight of the stare Tsuna was giving him. But he felt numb, the only reason why he would become Decimo was if….Xanxus!. He suppressed the desire to scream. The mafia had claimed another one of his brothers?

He glared at the baby with suppressed tears in his eyes. Was _this_ his idea of breaking the news to the family? Seeing the calm stare of those black eyes he felt no surprise. Yes, perhaps it was… "Why are you blubbering little Giotto? Are you so overwhelmed by my flawless presentation?"

"What happened to my brother?" He asked. The baby pushed down his fedora covering his eyes and crossed his hands. "Xanxus is well and alive, if that is what you're asking; your nomination has nothing to do with his health, but everything to do with his inadequacy to become the boss." Giotto snorted in irritation at his answer. "What do you mean by that? He is TOO adequate for the job; he was born to be the boss! Surely you can see that as a Hitman."

Reborn looked very serious and glared at him. "The fact that he is an excellent fighter has nothing to do with being the Boss of the Vongola, especially when we have you for it." Giotto could feel his most feared nightmare come alive in that moment; he looked at the baby in rage. "Well too bad, because I don't want to be the boss. I _won't_ be the damn boss!"

"Well_ too_ bad, because you don't have a choice." Answered the baby with a sadistic grin which only served to enrage more the teenager. "Really I hoped for you not to be a drama queen, but what can anyone expect from a blond." Giotto felt a vein in his temple about to burst, this just couldn't be happening "I don't care. I'm not fit to be the boss, Xanxus is! I don't want to be the boss, its ridiculous!" Three consecutive bullets pierced the sofa and Giotto barely stopped a girly shout.

"It's nice that you got that out your chest, very therapeutic" Continued the baby and smirked once more "My mission, is to train you to be the Decimo Vongola as soon as possible, and let me tell you that I never, ever, fail a mission" The blond teenager was staring at him, he breathed deeply, twice. "Why did he choose me over Xanxus?" He asked. Reborn turned his head to the ceiling. "If the Boss has not informed you about it, then I cannot."

Giotto slumped knowing at once that he would not get more information. "I don't want it!" Reborn just smirked at him. "Well if you're so sure, we could always go for the second option you know? Tsunayoshi Sawada is also a direct descendant of primo from his father's side. It was kept a secret to protect the Sawada family, and now that we learned that he has a very nice Sky flame, he has become the second candidate." Giotto stared at the confused boy in his lap and hugged him closer. Still no Xanxus? "You're bluffing... it can't be…" How could the family want more little Tsuna than Xanxus? Perhaps if they were a normal business but for a mafia boss?

"I don't make jokes with my job kid. These are the options, you or the boy." Said Reborn in a merciless voice and saw with satisfaction how the boy deflated once more. "My second task is to help your little bunny to get his flames under control. So essentially, that makes you both my little pupils." Reborn smiled, and Giotto just moaned.

* * *

><p>Demon Renaldi stared in amusement as his so called father signed his release forms from the mental health clinic. They still had this naïve thoughts of 'curing' him. The little fools thought he was delusional in his claims, if only they knew…<p>

He smiled widely at the terrified nurse who was doing her best for not meeting his eyes. He chuckled darkly and waved as he turned around without waiting for his parents. He was almost sixteen years old; two more years and he could be finally free of his annoying realtives and join his rightful Famiglia. He smiled in relief at the shining sun outside. While it had been extremely amusing to practice his illusions with the inmates, it had also become old very fast; damaged minds usually didn't put up much of a fight.

He could feel the time nearing, it was almost time for the tenth to come. "What will you choose this time Giotto?"

* * *

><p>He clenched his teeth and refused to plead.<p>

His arms trembled, unaccustomed to the weight. His muscles felt like burning. His throat was dry and he could feel the muscles in his back strain at the awkward position. How could he fall for such a trap? He was a fool. But only one thing was clear in his pain fogged mind: HE-WOULD-NOT-PLEAD!

Reborn smirked and took out his chronometer. When thirty minutes passed by, he watched with almost sinful delight as his little student broke down. "For the love of God stop it!" He screamed in a desperate voice; his eyes wide in pain and his arms trembling.

Giotto had never expected for things to become like this. It had seemed too simple at first… if only. A new wave of pain traveled through his arms, and he directed his pleading eyes once more at his foe, feeling the desire to fight leave him. "Please, please stop this…" He said, he could not endure anymore. And if he failed…

His tormentor seemed deaf to his plea and continued reading his mystery novel, and sipping calmly his espresso. "Yes of course, as soon as Celia confess who the murder is…"

Giotto was currently clad in only his pajama bottoms; having been dragged from his bed at four a.m. He was currently balancing twenty three of his mother's most precious glass figurines and china vases while in the middle of very shallow pond filled with sleeping alligators. "Reborn! What does this have to do with endurance you maniac!" He half whispered half shouted the teen in desperation. "Just for that you won another twenty minutes, you know?" Said the tutor with a impassionate voice. "As a boss, you must maintain your equilibrium and poise even in the worst circumstances."

"That's bull-AgHHHH!" One charming characteristic of this species of reptile, that Reborn was quite fond of, was that they were quite jumpy when awaken. Quite literally.

Reborn stared in appreciative interest as his student managed to _only_ drop one vase while being persecuted.

* * *

><p>"VOOOIIII! Boss I have some news!" Xanxus scowled at the damn screaming bitch who always, always insisted on destroying his eardrums. "What the hell you want trash?" He said while throwing, with deadly accuracy, a previous invaluable vase at him that managed to hit the other teen right in the face."You motherfucking...! Why is always in the face?" Screamed an enraged Squalo with a now bloody forehead. "Nnn? I thought you had enough with one missing hand? But if you insist…" Said the black haired man, locking his red eyes on the other, who immediately jumped back raising up his hand in surrender.<p>

"What the hell? Look, I heard something interesting form the main house…?" Xanxus seated himself once more and Squalo took that as a signal that his amputation had been postponed. "Reborn is there, training your brother and the small imbecile."

At the word Reborn, Xanxus scowled. At the second part he glared mightily at him, at the last; he let out an animalistic growl that made him shiver. "Why the hell is he doing that? Why is he training HIM?" Squalo looked around the room; as if searching for invisible eyes and ears. He approached the other man and said in a surprisingly low tone. "There are rumors, about the succession... they say that… it's nothing official, but they say that Reborn is training your brother because he is to be the next boss."

When the large hand closed at his throat, Squalo made a mental note of never break these kind of news to his boss so close again.

* * *

><p>Tsuna had been terrified many times; almost twenty times a day in a good day. Now, ever since certain baby had come into the picture, his 'fear episodes' had became horror filled days. He was having breakfast besides a twitchy Giotto; who had been like that since the previous day, after he returned completely covered in soot and having a much shorter half charred hair. Now, both of them were seated side to side, eating as fast as they could while warily looking at every corner. "Ciaosu my little prey!" Came a hig pitched greeting from somewhere.<p>

"HIEEEE!" A jet of ice cold water came from under the table and Tsuna bolted from the chair, and without missing a beat, he avoided all the members of the Vongola blocking his path and ran to the door; a baby dressed as a safari hunter behind him. Giotto just twitched.

After almost an hour of being chased he finally collapsed in the floor, his legs no longer responding. He only made a pitiful whimper when another jet of icy water hit him. After a moment he saw tiny feet at his side and he lifted tired eyes to the little man in front of him. "Well, that was pathetic." Sneered Reborn at him, poking him with the water rifle. "I can't do this! It's too hard!" He whimpered, he was tired, cranky, and hungry. "Oh? Then I hope that words will make you feel better when you burn this house down with everybody still inside Dame-Tsuna" Mocked Reborn in a hard tone.

"Stop calling me that!" He screamed in rage and guilt. He felt tears in his eyes, but the anger gave him enough energy to sit up. "I know! I know that I have to control this flame thing but I can't! I can't even run like Giotto!" Whinned the boy in a low voice. Reborn just sighed in exasperation. "Of course you're not like Giotto; you're Dame-Tsuna, not little Giotto!" Smirked the baby and Tsuna swallowed a very, very impolite answer. He felt a tiny foot collide with his head and he glared at the tutor. "HEY!"

"That was for your thoughts, now get up!" Said Reborn, pointing his weapon at the boy once more."No!" Said Tsuna, pushing back until his back was at the wall. "You want to protect your family or not?" Said a very irritated Reborn. He saw the words finally making the boy pay attention to him. "You have two options here Tsuna: either you succeed in this or you fail and risk killing someone you love."

The boy got teary eyed but also seemed to contemplate his words. "Is… is this flame really that dangerous?" He asked in a surprisingly serious tone."Is fire dangerous uncontrolled?" Answered the Hitman. Wide, scared eyes locked on his, and Reborn saw a kind of fear not born from warnings and tales but from memory. He needed more information from this boy.

"Your flame can either be the thing that helps you or destroy everything you hold dear. Now either we continue with the run, or you can stop wasting my time." The small boy seemed deeply shocked at the merciless truth in those words, and he glared back a little. The fire in his eyes made Reborn feel just a little bit of hope for the boy. "If… If I continue with this, I will control it? You promise?"

Reborn lowered his Fedora and smirked. "Kid, on my honor as a Hitman and my name, I guaranty that you will tame your flame if you stop winning and start following my directions" Tsuna stared hard at him, with a intense face that was definitely out of place in the boy. It reminded Reborn of the Ninth's face in his youth more than that of the scared bunny he had trained for a month.

"Okay, then… please help me."

Reborn smirked at the boy, perhaps there was a future for this kid.

* * *

><p>G stared at the burn marks in the hallway of Giotto's room. He could also smell a disturbing amount of gunpowder and he felt worried by this. He was rounding the corner when a cupboard opened at his side and someone grabbed his elbow dragging him inside. A strong hand closed over his mouth and acting on reflex he elbowed his attacker and turned around with intention of delivering a punch when he recognized the pained blue eyes staring in panic at him. "Giotto? What the hell?" He asked in confusion at his friend. He looked panicked and pretty terrified.<p>

"G! You have to help us! He is crazy! Demented I tell you! Please my friend, please save us!" G had always known that Giotto had a dramatic side, since… well forever. But the desperate gaze directed at him was making him really nervous. "Giotto calm down? What is wrong?"

"_They_ are the problem! He is a demon! A beast form hell! And now he has company" He heard a whimper behind Giotto and he spied a scared Tsuna behind the blond. He looked over the two of them and noted the white, full body suits they were wearing, which were covered in different splats of paint. "He is using us a target practice! With paint guns and each hit costs twenty!" Explained Giotto, but that only served to confuse the redhead more. "Twenty…? Euros?"

"No! Not money! Every time we get hit it's twenty minutes in that machine of hell!" Tsuna gasped at this and tried to flee, but Giotto grabbed the boy before he could leave the cupboard. "No Tsuna! They are out there, remember?" He whispered in terror and Tsuna nodded and watched with wary eyes the door. G felt transported to a bad horror movie all the sudden.

"Uhm… Giotto who are we talking about?" Giotto slowly turned his head and looked at him in fear and wariness as if saying the name would invoke the devil himself."… Reborn…" He whispered hurriedly and G suddenly understood the situation.

With a strong slamming sound the door was wrenched open and a barrage of shots invaded the small space, G; like the loyal friend he was, shielded the other with his body and immediately regretted it when he saw his favorite shirt completely covered in pink paint. "Ciaosu! If you like little rooms so much I just have this training that we can use!" Said a very amused Reborn appearing form the ceiling while in a costume of a spider. "It's called musical boxes!" He said with a wide smile.

"It's cheating using allies as shields Kora!" Said a new voice, G watched in interest as a small blond baby appeared, being carried around by a… seagull?. G opened his mouth to try and salvage the situation but was pushed aside by Giotto and Tsuna "STAY AWAY!"

G watched as in less that it took him to blink, Giotto left the room with little Tsuna in tow. Followed very closely by the little military baby who started shooting once more. He watched warily at the famous Reborn; one of the best Hitman, and part of the Arcobaleno and... Dressed in a spider costume "Signore Reborn" He greeted him, opting for his survival and ignoring the costume.

"Ciaosu Gualterio!" Said the baby, who smirked when the teenager twitched violently at the name. Reborn took out a small notepad and looked at the chronometer he had in his hand... "Mmm they have become faster at last... I was afraid that I would need to take out the big guns…" He mussed writing down the new times. "If I may ask Signore Reborn..it's necessary to… terrorize them? Especially Tsuna?"

The baby stared at him and smirked. "Fear is a powerful motivator, and especially for dame-Tsuna, besides that puny body just won't do, and this is the fastest way to make him fit." G understood his plan, as twisted as it was. "It's just that...after what happened to Tsuna..."

"If you're so worried you can always join them" Offered Reborn with a wide smile. G shuddered and very, very politely excused himself.

* * *

><p>Two pair of burgundy eyes glared in hate at the innocent glass of wine, it had been only a day since he had learned the truth about his parentage or lack of it… He had learned also that his false father, the Ninth, had chose his little brother to be the Decimo. Only because of his blood.<p>

When he had learned of the truth, written by the very hand of the ninth, he had been beyond enraged. He had felt the burning pain of humiliation in his gut and the anger at being made a fool of. Sure that everybody had been laughing at his back. Had the man and his whore laughed in amusement when Xanxus declared proudly being the son of the boss?.At least now knew the reason for the frigid and mocking gaze of Massimo, and the pitying gazes that bitch kept sending him. But now he had the truth, as bitter as it was.

He had made himself scarce after reading that diary because he didn't trust himself with not burning the whole place to the ground. Then he went on a rampage, throwing all his anger and hate in his missions and becoming finally an official member of the Varia. He was now aiming for getting the position of the boss, he just needed to bid his time and plan carefully…

His red eyes landed on the only photo in his room. Hung in the wall and almost behind a cabinet hidden from view was a small photo. It was enclosed in a frame of titanium and bulletproof glass and was his so called birthday present from the idiotic blond that called himself his brother.

It was a photo of himself, the blond menace and the little trash that repeatedly invaded his sleeping space. They were in one of the gardens, the photo had nothing special in it really. It was just the three of them sitting around, each one doing their own business. Tsuna with a story book sprawled in the grass, Giotto staring in almost hate at a metal puzzle in his hands and Xanxus also glaring at a report in his hands reclining in the bench. None of them seemed aware of the camera.

He snarled at the picture. Did they know? Had they laughed at his back too? He had been enraged when he learned that the small trash had been taken. It was proof that the family was weak and vulnerable, and while he had been slightly pleased at the total obliteration of the offending party, seeing the little idiot pale and thin like a street child and with shadows in those ridiculous big eyes he had wanted to shot at something.

This family was weak, and it was him who would make it strong again. O he would destroy it in the process.

* * *

><p>Timoteo felt almost guilty when he finished reading the report. He had read thorough the suggestions and winced at the photos, and finally sighed in concern. "I'm not criticizing you Reborn, but...are you sure this in not too rough? Especially for Tsuna" The hitman raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee. "I'm beginning to get irritated that everybody seems to be over concerned with the fragility of Dame-Tsuna. That boy has potential to become very strong, if you look past his clumsiness and cowardice. Coddling him won't help his case. His flame is very strong; I think that it might be on par with Giotto's"<p>

Reborn looked at the ninth and smiled "And your son may become one of the greatest bosses if only he would try. I will never push my students beyond what they can do." Said Reborn, with barely suppressed irritation. The ninth smiled at him. "I'm sorry Reborn, it was not my intention to doubt your work. But Tsuna has a very special place in our hearts, especially after what happened. How is his flame coming along?"

"The physical activity is enough to keep it under control. Especially since he uses burst of it while running away. I would use the Dying will bullets… but with the state of his flame it could become messy. I think that in two more weeks his body will have enough strength to start using it." Explained the tutor, and Timoteo nodded, satisfied with his answer. "I see… and Giotto?" Asked the ninth calmly watching at his friend and subordinate.

"He is strong already, which is not a surprise; since he has been trained since little. He is especially suited for hand to hand combat. He has a tendency to concentrate his flame in both his hands. He is fast and has sharp reflexes, the only thing he is missing is the will to fight. I'm focusing now on his boss's abilities."Resumed Reborn in a afactual tone. The ninth seemed amused at him."Oh?, I'm ashamed to say it but I have never seen Giotto fighting, besides basic martial art training…" Reborn frowned and looked at his brown beverage. "He looks... almost bored while fighting. He is good, but could be great… I'm calling some favors with Fon so he might come to train them." Reborn let his cup in the table, frowing at his next thought. "He seems to hate with a passion to engage another in combat, and his flame, while impressive, has no real heat behind it. Only when dame-Tsuna begins to blubber he seems to really get serious." He finished his coffee and smirked at his boss. "He is just like you, a protector."

Timoteo smiled sadly at that."Then let's hope that he has better luck than me…" There was shadow in his eyes, and he seemed deeply troubled at something. Reborn took his chance to voice his own worries. "Sir, it might not be of my incumbency... but how long do you plan to keep both of your sons in the dark? Especially Xanxus, I have been hearing some things that are alarming."

The ninth sighed and nodded wearily at his best Hitman. "I know, I think that he already knows… however he has refused all my summons." Reborn seemed surprised, no one rejected a summon from the Boss. No one. "Surely you can force the issue?" he pried carefully, normally ignoring the call from the boss was ground for a heavy punishment. "Perhaps, but I don't think that having him in chains in my office will help this time. I want to let him cool down. Then I will talk, to both of them." The ninth closed the report with a semblance of finality and Reborn took the hint to let go of the issue. He had a very bad feeling about Xanxus.

* * *

><p>Tsuna watched with a wince how Giotto fell down the wall with a pained groan and stayed in the floor. He suppressed the impulse to run to his side and juts stared at him, a small grunt at his side made him remember his duty. Taking a small wood beater he hit the gong at his side, signaling the end of the round. Giotto's opponent walked calmly to his side and Tsuna served him a cup of tea.<p>

"Thank you Tsuna." Smiled beatifically Fon, then he seated himself at his side. Of all the friends Reborn had introduced to them in the past months, Fon was the only one that didn't make him want to cry in dread. In fact he made him feel calm and safe. "Uhm... Fon-sensei, is Giotto okay?" He asked when Giotto didn't stir. The baby smiled once more. "Don't worry Tsunayoshi, he is just knocked out. He will wake up in five minutes. Are you finally seeing the moves?" Tsuna bit his lip and tore his eyes from Giotto, he nodded at the baby. "Y-yes I think... that last one was a... uhm… round kick?"

"Very well! See? Even watching is a type of training. Now, go to practice your punches and no slacking." Fon said, watching as his student blushed in delight at the small praise, he was really fond of the small child; he was really a good boy with a warm aura. Tsuna nodded and bowed to his teacher and to his tutor, well aware that Reborn didn't like to be ignored. "He is finally getting better?" Asked Reborn to the storm Arcobaleno, who closed his eyes while sipping his tea."Yes, he is, but more at the desire to please and protect than to be stronger or fight."

"Well that's the idiot pair for you…" Sighed Reborn, they both looked at the corner were a confused Giotto blinked at the ceiling. Fon walked to his side and smiled at him. "I told you not to let your guard down, don't be so afraid to hit vital points."He admonished his pupil. "I don't want to be an assassin…"Muttered the teenager. At fourteen his blond hair had become if anything, wilder and he had finally gotten taller; a sore spot for him during his early years.

"Hitting a vital point doesn't have to be cause of death always. It depends on accuracy and strength, that's why you must train. I'm not teaching you to be murderer. I'm teaching you how to prevent being one. When you're fighting with your flame, a bad placed hit can kill as easily as a bullet." Said Fon, he was as always calm and serene, not reacting at the anger of the teen. "Control your flame and control your body, that's the best way to avoid unnecessary killing."

Giotto looked at him and made a crooked smile, nodding and finally standing, trying to clear the white spots in his vision. "I'm sorry for the disruption Fon-Sensei" Said a voice at the door, G was standing at the door, looking especially serious and nervous, which made Giotto perk up in alarm in a instant.

"G? What's up?"The red-head smiled uncertainly at his friend and nodded at the two Arcobalenos. "Giotto, I have to ask you for a favor, a big one... if I could do it other way I would but… and I don't want for you to think that I'm abusing our friendship! but…" Giotto clamped a hand over his friend's mouth when he started rambling."Whoa! Stop!" He looked at is now silent friend. "You know that I trust you, yeah?. Now what is the problem?"

"You remember my uncle? From the family in Venice?"Giotto nodded at him. "Well, perhaps you don't remember the scandal that happened nine years ago, when he had this mistress… the one who played the piano?"Giotto's eyes widened in realization, it had been a huge scandal since she had been a surging pianist with a bright career. It had fed the rumor mill for years.

"He had a kid with her and my uncle adopted him as his wife's son." G winced, it had been a well know secret that the child was certainly not the son of the woman. However the charade was accepted and the child was seen as a amusing tale in the upper circles. "The problem is… I have always been fond of the kid. Well, me and my other cousin Shamal you remember him? He is the one who is a doctor.." Giotto nodded an gestured his friend to continued. " His name is Hayato, he is a good kid but he was bullied by other kids. My aunt basically ignored him, but, since two years ago things began to get ugly…"

"What happened?" asked a wary Giotto. The story of an abused, bastard child was not unheard of, in fact it was most common. "Well you see, his half sister, Bianchi discovered this talent of hers…" As G continued his tale Giotto felt the knot of apprehension in his gut. The child was Tsuna's age and that only made his disgust at the treatment of the child grow. Poisoned daily for amusement and entertainment? Just how sick was that?

"One year ago he run away from home. Shamal got permission from the ninth to take him as his apprentice, but one month ago he said that he was done with him… I don't know what happened and neither will talk about it. I can't take him with me since my uncle and father are still in a quarrel and it could get ugly if we try to adopt him…" He explained his face full of guilt and impotence.

"Okay." Said Giotto in a cheery tone."What?" G was staring at him with a surprised face, and the blond smiled widely at him gesturing the house around them. "He can stay here. I will talk with my father." Smiled Giotto as if accepting a new canary or another simple thing.

"B-but Giotto! You don't even know him!"Argued G, he didn't want for his cousin to move from one place to another anymore. "Well, is he here with you? Can I talk to him?" G, once more left spluttering at the calm acceptance of Giotto who was normally deeply suspicious of any one asking to be his friend of join his family.

"Uh… yes, he's…" A loud explosion made him face the door and he noticed in dread that it came from the place he had left his cousin at.

"That came from the west garden." Noted a very calm Reborn and Giotto, with a speed born form recent tortu-… training, he grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him to the place where Tsuna was training at.

* * *

><p>Gokudera Hayato had always felt out of place everywhere.<p>

In his home he was always ignored by his mother; no tears, good or bad behavior could make her eyes turn to him. His father was a entity only recognized by photographs and the occasional appearance in the house. His sister was perpetually finding a way to torment him in one way of another, until she had found the perfect way to make him experience total pain and humiliation. Even the maids politely ignored his existence.

When he had learn the truth a heavy weight had disappeared from his shoulders leaving behind a deep sadness that rapidly became anger. Finally understanding the reason for the cold treatment of his mother, the lack of interest of his father and the seemed hate from his was a bastard. An unwanted bastard from a pretty musician who just came to visit him by being paid for it. He was an unwanted, unecessary piece of furniture in the house.

Like a wrong note from a tune that should be eliminated for the sake of a good melody. A man appeared in the hallway and frowned at him. "Hey! What are you doing here brat?" He clenched his jaw and ignored the brute. It was a good question, what was he doing here? Why had that idiot cousin of his dragged him to this place? "I'm talking to you, are you deaf?" No, but sometimes he wished to be, just to stop hearing over and over again those hurtful words.

"Che! Get lost old man" He said to the tall man dressed in a perfectly pressed black suit. He turned around intent of leaving the house immediately. He had been told over and over again how unwanted he was, by his family, by his mentor, he would not remain to be told so by this idiot. "You little shit!" He ran and was just turning around the corner when he collided with a smaller kid, the impact making him stumble and fall on his butt. "Hey! Watch it! You stupid brat" He screamed at the small being at his side.

"Mou…I'm sorry…" Said a painfuly shy voice and Gokudera saw in irritation as the big man passed him by and went to the other boy's side, with a worried face."Ah! Tsunayoshi-sama! Are you uninjured? This idiot hurt you?" It was always his fault isn't? He watched with bitter amusement as the big, sturdy Mafiosi checked the small boy for injuries. This one wasn't ignored. This patetic and weak child was not unwanted like him. "Hey you! Apologize to Tsunayoshi-sama right now!" Screamed the man and Hayato felt his temper rising. "Make me!"

The brunette was panicking and squeaking like a little scared girl. He was immediately disgusted by the boy, someone as small and weak was entirely out of place in this house and still, he wasn't ignored… it just made him mad. "Oh I will make you!" The Vongola mafioso was now truly angered, and Gokudera smiled in satisfaccion. The man gently pushed the other boy at the side. "Signore Fazio! No! W-wait! HIEEE!"

The man made to grab him but he sidestepped him and took out his dynamite, he would show them, his family, his teacher, this idiot."Double bomb!" The man avoided the explosion and glared at him, covering the other boy with his body, he took out from his suit a set of throwing knives and sneered at him. "Now you're dead little shit!" Now, faced with an armed, experienced man from the Vongola, Gokudera was finally starting to panic.

He launched his dynamites one after the other, but the man cut them in half just as quickly, avoiding the explosion flawlessly. In his panic he started trowing them in random ways and one hit the man in a lucky throw, launching the man across the garden. However in his haste, Gokudera dropped several sticks at his feet, he saw with horror as the fuses became smaller and smaller.

"Watch out!" He saw in almost morbid fascination as the flame devoured the fuses completely. He was going to die. He saw the bright light signaling the explosion and the small stick expanded in a deadly cloud of fire and smoke from the ignition.

Something slammed into him and he felt all the air leaving in his lungs at the colision, something cracked in his chest as the pain exloded thought him. A warm weight was atop him and something was tickling his nose, something soft. "Are you okay?" A small voice asked and he watched as a pair of concerned, wide caramel eyes stared at him in fear and concern. "Are you hurt?"

He shook his head even though his chest was very, very sore from the impact. He turned his head and saw the destroyed part of the garden where he had been seconds ago. He was a good ten meters away from that spot now. "H-how? D-did you? HOW?" His mind was used to calculate speed, distance, and timing. There was no way in hell this small kid with his short legs had crossed the distance in time to save him and avoid the explosion at the same time. But the pair of caramel eyes and the singed shirt of the boy claimed another thing.

"TSUNA! Tsuna? Can you hear me?"

"HAYATO!"A pair of bodies appeared trough the smoke and Gokudera saw his cousin and a blond teenager coming closer to them, their eyes alight in concern and panic."TSUNA?" a blond blur snatched the boy from atop him and started fussing over the kid checking the boy from head to toes, over and over again."No wait! Don't move your neck you could have spinal injury! Are you hurt, do you feel pain? No? Wait, YOU _CAN'T_ FEEL PAIN? Oh my God can you move your Legs?"

The teenager was panicking now, and was rapidly punching a series of number in his phone, a black and small blur slammed into his head effectively knocking the phone out of his hands."Calm down you idiot, Dame-Tsuna is fine!"

"Don't call me that!" Gokudera stared in wonder as a baby wearing a suit and a fedora took out a gun and pointed it to the kid. "I will call you whatever I want Dame-Tsuna!" Now Gokudera was pretty sure he had a concussion or at least a severe post-stress hallucination, because he was seeing the two boys quarreling with the fedora wearing baby. And the baby was winning.

"Oy! You idiot! Are you okay?" A gentle hand started to examine him, despite of the rough words. He turned around to see his cousin G watching him in concern. "Stop touching me stupid! I'm fine!" He bristled at him, even though a small part of him felt vindicated at the concerned stare."Well if you had energy to scream, I think you will live. Now what happened here?"At that Gokudera felt dread invading him, now everybody was looking at him expectantly.

"I-I…I'm sorry this is my fault." He confessed and waited for the hard punishment that he obviously deserved, not only had he attacked a member of the house, he had also destroyed said house. "Obviously since you are the only one capable of this accuracy!" Said his cousin in a sardonic tone. And Gokudera frowned warily at he complimenting him?

"G is this your cousin?" The blond teenager came to his side still carrying a protesting brunette in his arms; the way one would carry a favored pet or a very small kid. He let go of the boy, who reached for him with caution, as if approaching a dangerous but fascinating animal."Are you really okay? I think I slammed pretty hard on you…" Said the small boy still looking him over, and blushing a little "I can't control my flame very well you see…I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Now he was gapping at the boy in astonishment. He had insulted, threatened and essentially put in risk the life of the boy and he was the one apologizing?

"Tsuna, this my cousin his name is Gokudera Hayato. He is seven, the same age as you." Said his cousin while putting a hand in his shoulder. "Hayato, this is my friend Giotto, he is the son of the ninth and between you and me the next candidate for boss. And this is Tsuna he is the son of the external advisor." Gokudera paled, he was death, he had destroyed a part of the house and almsot killed the son of the external advisor of the Vongola? He was dead.

"Hello Gokudera, would you like to become part of the family?" Said Giotto with a wide smile while G face palmed in exasperation at the bluntness. While Gokudera just gaped at him "B-but I just! I mean what would I do for the family?" He argued, completely confused at the turn of events.

"You will be Dame-Tsuna's bodyguard!" Said the baby and Giotto glared at him. "Hey! Stop doing this crazy decisions all by yourself!" He said to the baby, who only glared back in exasperation. "What are you complaining for? You have been postponing our visit to the Cavallone's because 'little Dame-Tsuna would be all alone!' Now, this boy will protect him and I can finally start working on the other project."

Explained the baby while the other seemed only more enraged at this. "That's the most stupid—AGH Stop hitting me!" Somehow the green gun had become a very big, very heavy looking mace. That the baby used to hit the tenth in the head. "The boss of the Cavallone asked for my assistance. The Ninth and I think that this will be a very good learning experience for you. Any question?"

Gokudera saw in wonder as the tenth got up and continued to argue with the sadistic baby. "That's beside the point you can't just appoint random people as bodyguard without his consent it's just…"

"I'll do it!" Said Gokudera while kneeling. "He saved my life, it's only fair that I would pay him in this manner! I will become his bodyguard gladly! You can trust me Tenth!" Gokudera was ecstatic, this would be a unique chance for him.

"W-wait Hayato I'm not the tenth and you don't have to do this" Said a panicked Giotto who was looking at the rapidly deterioration situation. Tsuna was also looking deeply disturbed by the whole thing."You don't have to do this Gokudera-kun! I don't need a bodyguard! You don't own me anything!" Said the burnette, also glaring at the baby. But Gokudera would not back down. "Of course I owe you Sir! I will be forever loyal to you and the tenth."

"W-Wait! I don't need a bodyguard!" Panicked the boy only to receive a mace in his head for his trouble for the dismay of the tenth. The baby sighed and pointed to the group with an air of authority."Enough talk, you" Said reborn while pointing at Tsuna. "Show Hayato your room, you will share until we can acomodate him. And show him the house, no more explosions or I will have you running for three hours non-stop." Tsuna eeped and grabbed the other boy, rapidly disappearing from sight.

"You, start packing we are going tomorrow to the Cavallone!" Reborn ordered to Giotto."Listen to me you maniac-PUT THAT THING DOWN!" Reborn changed his mace for a small missile thrower and pointed it a Giotto. G stared in fascination and horror at the proceedings and shook his head in bafflement, why did things always end this chaotic lately?

He watched as a his flustered cousin was dragged around by small Tsuna and smiled, relieved. At least that looked promising.

He looked at the now bloody Giotto and sighed in exasperation. When would he learn? A small groan of pain made him turn around and he watched as a singed and dizzy Fazio dragged himself out of the rubble with an almost visible black aura. Perhaps he should look for his cousin and Tsuna and take them outside the house for a couple of days?


	7. Chapter 5

Please enjoy.

**Chapter 5: The day we changed.**

Having a bodyguard Tsuna learned, was very tiring. After he had realized that he couldn't make Gokudera forget his oat; he had resigned himself to be "Body guarded" 24/7. Deep down he was happy for the presence of the other boy; because he never had anyone his own age to talk, play with, or even bicker like Giotto and G did.

But other times he wasn't as grateful. He didn't _dislike_ the other boy. It was just that he followed him _everywhere! _Even the bathroom; where he waited outside as if waiting for a vicious assassin to come out of the faucet. And went ballistic over the smallest things. And the worst: he liked picking fights with some of the strongest, burliest members of the house; who only smiled in amusement and once or twice seemed to almost coo at Gokudera's attitude towards him, it was disconcerting, so Tsuna tried very, very hard to ignore such things.

"Tsuna-sama!" Came the shout down the hall, and Tsuna knew immediately that his recess was over, he almost left out a growl, but one look at the bruised face of his friend and the happy bright eyes left him without air in his sails. A pair of arms clutched his shoulders and Tsuna looked up to his self-claimed bodyguard; at eleven years old, Hayato had gotten taller which made Tsuna feel even smaller. His father was tall so why he was so short?

"Tsuna-Sama!" Said Gokudera after checking him for injuries, hugging the boy in Greeting him and kissing both cheeks at the Italian way. That was the other thing that he didn't like. Gokudera refused to use his name. He instead searched for all the 'proper' titles he could call him, after an epic pillow fight, which Gokudera won, they had settled on 'Tsuna-sama'. After Sawada Tsunayoshi-sama, Sawada Tsunayoshi-dono, and Sawada-san were discarded of course. He had put his foot down on boss, sir, and similar ones. "Good morning Hayato! Are you finished with your morning training?" In exchange, he got to call the other boy by his name, which gained him a red faced spluttering Hayato every time.

After Tsuna's father, Iemitsu, learned of the new boy he had sent Tumeric to instruct the boy in proper bodyguard techniques. For three months they disappeared in random moments of the day, and Gokudera returned always covered in bruises but always with a self satisfied air.

"Hai! Tumeric-san said that I'm getting better. You will see, I will be the best bodyguard in the world!" Exclaimed the boy with a proud semblance. Tsuna just hoped that Gokudera could finally stop to push him flat on the floor at the smallest provocation. "I'm learning now about evading paths and he said that we are going to start driving lessons next week!" Exclaimed an enthusiastic Hayato, Tsuna shivered at the image of an over excited Gokudera in a blinded car. Once, Tsuna had asked him the reason behind accepting such a duty. 'Because I wanted.' Had answered the other boy with a serious gaze and Tsuna just nodded.

"Hey! Tsuna!" Called a voice down the corridor and Tsuna smiled at the voice. "Cozart!" He ran to the other teen taking in the differences in the other; his hair was now longer and less messy, and he was taller. His face was becoming longer too. A pair of arms enveloped him and he returned the hug. "How are you Tsuna? I heard all kind of scary stories from Giotto. He kept referring to concentration camps and Spartan, evil overlords"Tsuna almost shivered at the memories but forcibly ignored those in a practiced fashion, the only useful way he had for the meditation techniques that Fon-sensei was so fond of. "Uhm… well Reborn likes to do things in his especial way…" Cozart grimaced at this but wisely just nodded then turned around as if searching for something and then sighed and stared at the corner of the hallway. "Aw come on! Why so shy? Enma!"

At the name Tsuna perked up, and rapidly went down the corridor. A squeak and the sound of two crashing bodies told Cozart that Tsuna had caught his little brother. A silver blur passed him by and he approached the chaos calmly. "HEY YOU! GET OFF TSUNA-SAMA!" Screamed an enraged voice and Cozart smiled in amusement at the image of the two tangled boys and a third screaming one that was trying to tear off one of Tsuna's arms with all the pulling.

"Hey, hey! Calm down" With practiced ease he separated, and patted each boy, which were now grinning at each other. "Enma! You came! Why didn't you tell me before?" Asked a grinning Tsuna. "Because he was sure you didn't want him like a friend anymore, even thought you speak like little squirrels through the phone at least three times a week." Droned Cozart with gained him a kick from his brother and an appalled gaze from Tsuna. "HIEEE? No! I like Enma a lot! Unless, Enma doesn't like me anymore?" He said with teary eyes which made an enraged Hayato to almost punch Enma for making cry his precious charge."How dare you to make Tsuna-sama feel bad!"

"Hayato! Wait! Enma is my best friend!" Tsuna hugged the other boy grounding his feet to stop the attack. Gokudera looked at him and nodded tightly but still continued to glare at the other boy. "Uhm… I like Tsuna-kun a lot, I just….uhm…" Stuttered Enma, and Tsuna saw in apprehension how his friend seemed to be even shyer. He looked scared of something.

"Yes, yes, come on you two are best friends! Yes?" Smiled Cozart and the two nodded and smiled, the awkward moment passing. "Hey Tsuna, do you know where is Giotto?" Asked the tall redhead, looking over his little brother with a concerned gaze.

"Ah… I think he is in the mountains with Dino-San." Said Tsuna, while paling a little. "Dino-san? As is Cavallone's?" Cozart almost smiled, he remembered too well the nice, but very clumsy heir of that family. "Hu. hu, He is the next Cavallone's Boss; Reborn is training them together for a while." Cozart nodded at him and Tsuna frowned in thought. "But Reborn came back yesterday so you can ask him."

"Wait, he left them in the mountains?" Asked the Shimon heir, not liking the thought . Tsuna seemed equally concerned. "He said is for survival skills." Said Tsuna in a whisper while looking around for a certain Spartan Tutor. "Uhm I think he just kicked them out of and helicopter and left. He did that a month ago to us, but in a nearby forest."

"I see… well I just wanted to say hello, I will be in Italy for a month so I hope to see more of him." Cozart smiled and gave Enma a big, red bag. "So, Enma is staying here for a while. Do you have your cell? Money? Second phone for when the first die?" Enma nodded and blushed at the last part but it was almost a tradition that in every visit to the Vongola his phone would inevitably die in a most gruesome way. "Yes! Stop pestering!"

"Aww! My little bro is in his rebellious age already!" Squealed Cozart while trying to squish the life out of his little brother. "AHHH Let go! Idiot!" With a final pat he left the three boys to know each other.

"Tsuna-kun the recess is over." Said a serene voice and Tsuna jumped in the air. "Fon-sensei! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! AH! Hayato please take Enma to the room, please?" Asked Tsuna with his best puppy eyes and the other boy suddenly got a very sharp glint in his eyes."Of course Tsuna-Sama! I will take Tsuna-sama's friend and we will wait for you there!" Said Hayato as if accepting a top-notch mission. He grabbed the other boy by the wrist and got in a sprint, leaving a bewildered brunette behind.

"Ah! Fon-sensei! W-wait a moment HIEEEEE!"

* * *

><p>Enma stared at the boy currently checking the room for traps and listening devices. For over twenty minutes already! He seemed finally satisfied with the state of the room and suddenly he found himself the solely focus of a pair of green eyes. "So, you're the famous Cozato Enma, brother of Shimon Cozart." Asked a glaring Gokudera. "Half-brother" Whispered Enma and hastily closed his mouth at the stronger glare he received.<p>

"I have heard that you are Tsuna-Sama's best friend. As his bodyguard is my priority to make sure that you're TRULY that! So tell me Cozato, what you have to gain from being his friend?" The boy grabbed the other by the neck of his shirt, his most menacing face in place. "G-gain? I don't understand?"

Gokudera sneered at the other boy and pointed at a photo of Tsuna and Giotto. "I mean, why should I trust that you will not backstab Tsuna-Sama in the future?" He accused the other. Enma for his part was starting to become angry at the interrogation. "I won't! I mean I would never do such thing!" Said Enma a little louder but still quietly and the silverette smirked at him.

"Well, what is Tsuna-sama to you? A way to surpass your brother, a way into the mafia? What do you want from him?" Enma now was angry, he was shaking with anger at the other boy who was accusing him without proof. "Nothing! Shut up you don't understand anything!" Screamed Enma, Hayato felt his eyebrows rise and stared at the previously meek boy, who was now enraged and glaring at him. "Tsuna is my friend! He… he accepted me without conditions! He don't expect anything more than my friendship, because of that I would never betray him or use him! So just stop this!"

"you better listen to him stupid." Droned an irritated voice form the door and Gokudera saw that his cousin had entered the room without him noticing. "Who are you calling stupid, you moron!" Screamed and enraged Gokudera and G sneered at him. "You, because you are about to lose whatever trust Tsuna has in you." Stated G, his eyes completely serious. "What?" Asked a suddenly meek Gokudera and his cousin signaled to an uncomfortable Enma.

"_He_, is Tsuna's best friend. Has been since the first time they saw each other, for three years now, and the worst offense you can make to Tsuna is to hurt or threaten the people dear to him." Gokudera now looked a bit uncomfortable and Enma was blushing for the indirect praise. "You're always droning about being his bodyguard, but first you have to gain his complete trust, and harassing his friends is not the way to go estupido!"

"I KNOW! JUST SHUT UP!" The chastised boy ran from the room leaving the two redheads alone, G sighed and ruffled Enma's head, gaining him an indignant squeal for it. "Please forgive him Enma. My cousin is just a little too enthusiastic in his supposedly' role of Tsuna's bodyguard. To be truthful Tsuna has to defend himself from his over protectiveness more…"

"Uh… It's o-okay… I'm happy that Tsuna has someone to protect him…" Said the redheaded and G smiled at the kid. He softly rapped his knuckles to his head and smirked at him. "Hey! Cheer up, you're still Tsuna's first and best friend, he is a bundle of annoying sunshine every time you come to visit us." This got him a small chuckle and a half glare, but Enma felt his fear at losing his friend, abate a little.

* * *

><p>"You left them in the mountains, in the middle of December, no clothes, not tools, no food and in an area reported to be a death trap?" Asked Cozart in a disbelieving tone. "Yes, that is good summary, good job on it Shimon." Smirked Reborn and the other teenager could almost hear Giotto's screams in the back of his mind. "And G allowed this?"<p>

"He was… occupied in other matters at the time." Grinned Reborn in a almost innocent tone. "I see…" Cozart grimaced at the taste of strong black coffee. After being in England for so long he had developed more a taste for tea. "Uhm, I know that I can't meddle with your training but… how can you know if they are… you know, alive?" He asked, his hands twitching in his lap. "I have them bugged of course." Said the Hitman, calmly.

"Isn't this a bit extreme? I mean, Cavallone just started his training six months ago and those mountains can be brutal." Said Cozart while eyeing the baby in front of him. He had only seen three of the infamous Arcobaleno, and the sight of them always left him baffled. "And why should I tell you this, Shimon? Are you asking for your family, or for your friend?" Asked a serious Reborn, his eyes fixed on the other. "Both, I think… By now is a known secret that Giotto and not Xanxus is the heir, everybody is… curious about the reason. Giotto has been very vocal in the past about not wanting to be a Don."

"He has, but the family requires it, so he will be the Boss. And he is qualified for the job, this, you can tell your family." The red head nodded and sipped the bitter beverage once more, and just managed not to grimace. "As his friend I have to ask… why? Why not Xanxus? He is strong, and willing. And to be honest much more capable of enduring the mafia life than Giotto."

"Ah? So you have so little faith in your so called friend?" Taunted the hitman while playing with his favorite gun. "That's not what I mean! But, Giotto is… well... a pacifist! And he is a dreamer. He is too vulnerable, too soft for this… he is too good for this way of life…" Cozart grimaced at his own words, even thought he was only speaking the truth. "Other people." Said Reborn while staring intensely at the boy in front of him. "Would say that he is a fool, just like they said about you being a naïve kid. And yet your father choose you among four others."

"That's different! I'm the only safe choice; any of the others would just bring infighting in the family and would leave us in a mess in the end." Argued the redhead, his face set in a scowl. Reborn wasn't impressed by the flare of temper and just nodded. "And Vongola has similar reasons. This decision was not made lightly, Shimon. Giotto is to become the boss, and he is going to need someone beside him as an external advisor. The Shimon family is ideal for this, since you're not tightly immersed with our family, yet we have a long history between us. Giotto would never ask you this, so I will."

Cozart gaped at the boldness and let his remaining coffee to spill on the plate. His mind became a mess at the implications of becoming the next external advisor. The Shimon family was small enough that he could manage both positions. But that would expose his family to the limelight of the mafia; the sheer envy of some of the other allies would be reason enough for the obliteration of his family. And yet they could be protected under the wide umbrella that was CEDEF. "…I will of course always be there for Giotto… In whatever form he needs me, but becoming his external advisor is not something I can decide on the spot. May I think on this before I can make a decision?"

Reborn smiled in a satisfied way and nodded. "I would not expect anything more; just hurry because I feel that time is short." Said the baby while looking at his chameleon. Leon was tail-less and sickly looking. The question being, for who would was the tool?

Cozart seeing the distracted air of the baby excused himself and left the room. Walking aimlessly trough one of the garden while pondering the heavy proposition. He was just lucky enough to look up when an airborne Tsuna crashed against his stomach, knocking the air out of him. "Ouch, ouch, owww." He heard and got up with a grimace, taking care of not hurting the boy. "Tsuna? What happened? Who did this to you?" Asked a frantic Cozart and Tsuna looked at him with slightly unfocused eyes. "Well, let's stop for today, Tsuna-Kun, I have something to discuss with Reborn. I want you to be on time tomorrow, yes?" Said a serene and small voice at the level of his knees and Cozart saw a baby dressed in Chinese clothes lecturing the still dizzy Tsuna.

"H-hai Fon-sensei, thank you for the lesson…." Murmured the boy, more from habit that anything if the absent gaze was any indication. The baby smiled and bowed and Cozart found himself bowing in return and in a blink the baby was gone. "Tsuna? Should I take you to the infirmary?" Tsuna blinked once and twice and winced but shook his head. "Owww… No I'm fine… I think…"

"Uh… at least I will take to your room; I have a feeling that if I leave you here you will be on the floor too soon." laughed Cozart and grabbed the boy, carrying him in piggyback style. Tsuna seemed to doze off for a few minutes and Cozart was content with the silence. "Cozart… Um... C-can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Said Cozart, instantly alert at the hesitant tone. Tsuna had overcome his shyness with him at least two years ago. But now he was once more the shy and insecure boy he had met in the past. "Uhm… well. Enma... he _wanted_ to come here right? I mean... he wasn't forced or anything?" He finally asked him in a very weak voice. Cozart sighed and went to another garden and dropped the boy in a bench, seating himself to his side.

"Are you asking me if we are forcing Enma to be your friend?" Said Cozart in a serious tone, Tsuna avoided his face but nodded."You two are so similar sometimes is creepy." Laughed Cozart and two wide caramel eyes stared at him. "He asked me the same thing just before coming here, you know?"

"B-But… did I do something to make him feel bad?" Said a panicked brunette and Cozart resisted the urge to either roll his eyes or pat Tsuna's head, so he settled on smiling at the child."Tsuna, I want to tell you something very important, because I want for Enma to have a true friend, someone who accepts him for who he is, and I think you are that person, just like Giotto and I…" Tsuna suddenly focused entirely on the other boy, something deep inside him alerting him to the importance on paying attention. Cozart smiled lightly and looked at the sky.

"You know of course that Enma and I are from different mothers. My mother being the deceased wife of our father, she died when I was two, and father never wanted to be married again after that…. But he had this… relationship with a japanese woman and she got pregnant with Enma… he lived with us for the three years because she isn't very maternal…" Cozart's eyes suddenly became cold and focused on something and Tsuna suppressed a shiver. "When Enma was four we were being attacked by another Family. Over and over again, they never succeeded on taking him or really hurting him but since our family is relatively small we had some problems with a small child, and Enma was a sickly child. So they pressured Father to send Enma away…" Cozart glared at some memory and clenched his hands before relaxing and smiling bitterly at him.

"I didn't want to but, well… Enma won't say anything about it... but I know that that woman isn't very caring. She is not physically abusing him, but I don't think she cares at all about him. He is very insecure and sending him away didn't help, that's why I want for you to stick to him Tsuna… please?"

The teenager clasped his hand and looked him directly to the smaller boy's eyes. "You and he are very similar, and you can trust each other. And that is a very rare thing in this world...so you have to stick together, even if somehow you are separated... never, ever stop being friends."

Tsuna felt something big and painful in his chest that wanted to burst his ribcage and be let free, he looked into deep burgundy eyes, so similar to his brother's. "Hai"

* * *

><p>"Everything is as it should be then?" A man whispered trough a recently purchased phone and snarled at the modified electronic voice that answered. "So you only want that? What for?" He clenched his hand and almost crushed the phone in his hand. "Fine! I know… As long as no one ever learns of it… yes, of course. I made my decision…We will support the other one, is the right choice after all. We can't have Vongola become weak." The man opened his mouth and closed it when the call ended abruptly and crushed the phone against the wall.<p>

Mario Allino, the current head of the Varia, snarled at the dark sky and walked to the main street. His one concern was for the Vongola to remain strong and firm. He had no ambition of his own. The Vongola needed a strong heir to reamin at the top and that would not happen if the ninth got his way.

* * *

><p>Dino was cold, hungry, thirsty, scratched, bruised, bitten, poisoned, and most importantly half naked in the middle of nowhere, and he was very, very pissed off. An he was cold.<p>

"Well, that was just fantastic! You just had to burn our only food!" And the constant bickering form his 'partner' wasn't helping his humor. "Oh? Well I'm sorry! OH great perfect one! But not everyone is as flawless as yourself, highness!" He said snarling, he usually wasn't so… bitchy. But ever since he had been declared the successor of the Cavallone, his life had rapidly became a living nightmare.

From the moment that small creepy baby had appeared at his bedside and tossed three big, very real, grenades and blew up his previously adored bed his life had become decidedly bizarre. "No, but you can try to be as competent as a snail at least!" Screamed the blond guy, who was staring mournfully at the carbonized pair of fishes in the remains of the fire.

The successor of the Vongola had appeared alongside the supposedly tutor. He had hated the other from the first week; because he was everything he wasn't. Strong, smart, agile, cool and collected in the face of danger and … well fucking perfect. It was unnerving to him being compared to such a boy all day long, the fact that they were both the same height and build with similar colored hair and eyes just seemed to make their difference in attributes more evident. "WELL THEN JUST FIND YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS MOUNTAIN AND LEAVE ME BEHIND! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!" He screamed in frustration, he was just tired of ruining things for the other.

"STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE! I'M NOT ABANDONING YOU HERE!" What made things worst, was that the guy seemed nice. Not too stuck up or arrogant, perhaps a little aloof with him but he was mostly quiet. Dino glared at the other blond, and felt all his fatigue crashing down on his shoulders. So he directed all his fury on the only thing he could focus at the moment, launching himself to the other boy with naked fists as his only weapon. Giotto didn't panicked, didn't gasped or screamed and that only served to make Dino even more enraged. To see the perfect face and façade, to see very thing he could never be.

Dino screamed in anger and helplessness and fought with a previously undiscovered viciousness, but all his punches were caught. Dino sent attack after attack to the other boy, who only stared at him with that vacant, almost bored gaze.

His arms were twisted behind his back and he felt a chest pressing from behind him. Giotto was pinning him against a tree and Dino trust his head back getting back a grunt of pain and stars in his own vision. "Agh! You MORON!" Finally! A reaction! The hands at his wrists clenched and even before he knew what was happening, he found his back colliding with the earth the pebbles and random sticks digging in his uncovered back. Then, a heavy weight settled on his hips effectively pinning him to the floor. He saw enraged, blue eyes, which somehow seemed a little bit amber at the edges.

"You know what! I'm so tired of you endless whining! I'm sick of it! SO STOP IT!" It was the first time he had seen Giotto expressing another emotion than boredom or aloofness and somehow Dino felt a small burst of triumph at it."If you don't like it the go away already!" He screamed back, trying to take the other guy to lose his hold.

"SHUT UP! I'M TIRED OF LISTENING TO YOU. All day, all you do is complaining! And whining! All you do is trip all over your feet and getting us even more of that crazy tutor's punishments" Giotto didn't let go of his arms, but he gave him a mighty glare that made Dino become more angry instead of calming him. "Well I'm sorry but I didn't want his shit! I don't want to be a boss."

Giotto was at his wits end, he was also tired and hungry and this little spoiled boy wasn't helping their situation. "Neither do I! But at least I want to survive this idiotic trial, so you can shove your little…" He started, his hands clenching a little bit more, making the Dino wince. "Wait, you don't want to be boss?" Said Dino bewildered, and the other boy clamped his mouth with a grimace and let go of his hands then he got up and seemed very embarrassed at his outburst.

Dino stayed on the ground, staring in shock at the other."Why would you say that? I mean, you're perfect for the job! Why would you don't want to become the tenth boss of the Vongola?" The pair of blue eyes zoned on him and Dino felt a shiver running through his spine and the enraged gaze. "Because I don't want to rule the Vongola more than you want to be Cavallone boss. So stop assuming things!"

Dino felt as if someone had told him that the earth was actually very flat and not rounded. "B-but… it's completely different... I'm useless and stupid and you… you're not." Finished Dino and Glared at the smoking remains of the meal. "You are not useless… just clumsy… actually you remind me a lot of Tsuna…I'm always speaking to him about you, he asked me to be patient with you." Muttered the other boy, but in the quiet of the mountain Dino could hear him perfectly. The other boy stared at him as if seeing him for the very first time, a soft gaze invading his eyes. It was such a contrast to the usually irritated one that Dino was baffled. "Uhm, Well…I'm sorry… for the dinner… and the bear, and that avalanche, and the bees and…"

"Oh just shut up would you!" glared Giotto but there was something missing from the usually irritated tone. "Look, we were both dragged into this, and neither of us really wants to be in these situations. But if we continue like this then it will get ugly really fast." Dino nodded tiredly and they both returned to the remains of their little camp "Yeah… It's just I don't these things on propose you know? I'm… well useless…"

"Stop saying that!" Said Giotto in a low voice, smiling lightly at the other. "It's the truth. I'm not like you! Perhaps you don't want to be a boss, but at least you have what it takes to be one. Me on the other side..." Dino covered his face with his hands and just groaned; it was the lack of food he decided, all this angst and anger was just the lack of food and water, and the stress, definitely the stress.

"I hate the mafia…" Said a quiet voice, so quiet that he almost missed it. Dino remained still and silent, interested in what the other was saying. "I hate all the power struggle and politics and I definitely hate to fight. But… I love my family and I would do anything for them… that's why I cannot escape from this. Even though I could probably try."

Dino felt his shoulders shake and felt wetness in his hands. Really! He shouldn't waste even more body water in his situation, but the tears still refuse to abate and he cried silently in his hands. "I thinks that's why they choose you Dino. Because you care about the _people_ in your family. I have seen how the others see you, and they care about you a lot. Especially Romario, he is very concerned about you."

Dino clenched his teeth and then relaxed his mouth but refused to let his face to show. "I know…" He murmured. "I know they care. And that's why I can't become the boss. How could I become the one to guide and protect them? It's ridiculous, I…" Giotto gave him a light slap in his shoulder, reprimanding him. "You don't have to do it alone; you have your family to support you and perhaps some friends?"

"Ha! Me? You can't be serious! I'm the laughing stock of everybody!" What was with him and the drama? It was definitely the stress that made him act like a teenager girl, it had to be! Another tense silence invaded the small clear in the woods, and Dino felt his tears abate, leaving him empty and with a headache on top of everything else.

"Well, you have me now." Said Giotto, and Dino finally looked at the other completely surprised. "What?" Giotto smiled amusedly at him."Well… after all this shit... we must become either great friends or bitter enemies. I just prefer if we could be the first!" And now, Giotto was smiling sunnily at him and Dino suddenly knew that the other teenager was made to smile, and joke, not the serious, bored persona he had met for so long.

"I…why would? I mean, our families are allies already…" Giotto frowned and smacked him in the head, hard this time, and then extended his hand in his direction. "I'm asking _you,_ Dino, not the Cavallone. If we are to be surrounded by wolves at least I want to have a friend near." Dino watched at the other boy and felt himself suddenly sag, his previously tight coiled body letting go of all the tension, he took the hand and offered a shaky smile to his friend who was now smiling widely as if he had won the lottery or something. Perhaps insanity was a requisite to belong to the mafia?

Later in that night Giotto remained wide awake, partly from the painful contractions of his empty stomach and partly from the memories Dino had awaken on him. Perhaps he had been a little unjust and bitter to the other from the first day of meeting him.

He had took one look at the panicked and indignant teenager, who refused at the top of his lungs to become the head of his family, and he had felt a suddenly bitterness that he could not explain. What should have been sympathy had rapidly became irritation. And then Reborn had started to praise Giotto and all his skills, from the manner in which he cut his steak to the way he grabbed a gun. He had NEVER before received a direct praise from the tinny tyrant and it was such a transparent way of making Dino upset that it only served to make Giotto even more moody.

After a month had passed a wide rift had been established between the two of them. And it would have became even larger but then, Reborn had basically kidnapped and left the two alone in the middle of nowhere, still in their sleep pajamas. And then, things went from bad to hellish in less than a day.

Giotto looked fondly at his new established friend and had to admit that perhaps, only perhaps, there was some kind of purpose in the crazy baby's ways. He closed his eyes but opened them again at the knot of apprehension in his gut. For a month now he had felt a horrible sense of dread. Ever since seeing his brother for the last time…

**FLASH BACK**

_The door opened and the imposing figure of Xanxus appeared on the door. His room in the house was only two doors from Gotto's, so perhaps he had been attracted by all the yelling and the gunshots. Enraged eyes were staring from one boy to the fedora clad baby at his side. _"_So, the old man finally had the balls to announce it?" He asked in a too calm voice and his glare went up notch when he stared at the famous hitman._

_"The announcement will be in six months, the ceremony pending when the Ninth consider his heir ready." Answered a passive Reborn. "I'm not his Heir dammit! Why won't you listen to me! I don't want it!" Exclaimed a desperate Giotto, all his plans for the future were crumbling before his eyes. The red eyes of his brother connected with his and Xanxus seemed to find something in them because his glare came down from murderous, to merely coma-inducing._

_"Welcome to the reality trash. If that old man made up his mind, he won't care about your petty desires. Even if you are the most precious son of his wife." Sneered the other boy with a unsympathetic sneer at him. "…what? What do you mean by that?" Babbled Giotto watching from one predator to another, there was some kind of warning Reborn was sending to his brother that he could not quite grasp. Xanxus seemed to catch on something and he sneered at him, the corner of his mouth lifted in a mocking, twisted smile._

_"Well Arcobaleno, you can see the worthless sissy the future boss is, good luck with it" Said Xanxus and turned around slamming the door at his exit._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

He had tried to contact his brother by any means, but all was in vain. The feeling in his gut remained and became worst each day. He looked at his partner in training and vowed to find a way out of the mountain as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>Gokudera was an intelligent boy, actually he was borderline genius. So it was easy for him to understand that Enma really was Tsuna's best friend. The small redhead was so similar and yet so different to Tsuna that it was hard for him to hate the boy. Which left him with a problem; he could either give and apology to the other boy or leave the incident under the rug.<p>

"Gokudera-san are you sick?" Asked a quiet voice and Gokudera found himself in front of a concerned looking Enma. "What?" He asked, confused at the question. Enma bit his lip and looked at him hesitantly. "Well… you have this grimace and I though you may be sick… sorry…"

Gokudera gaped at the boy. Other than his cousin, Giotto-sama and Tsuna-sama. No one, ever, had been concerned for his wellbeing. And this boy, to whom he had glared at for two days non-stop was now concerned about him?.

"I'm fine! Che!" He glared at him and saw as the other boy almost curled on himself at his look. Gokudera saw the fear in the gesture and felt all his anger dissapear in a puff. The words of the idiot of his cousin came back to him and he clenched his hands in aggravation.

"I'm sorry…" He mumbled trough almost closed lips and Enma looked at him funnily. "Uh? I'm sorry I didn't hear you?" The green eyed boy grimaced but squared his shoulders. If he was going to apologize to the other he would do it right. "I'm sorry Cozato-san… for doubting your friendship with Tsuna-sama! I was wrong. I felt… envious of you…" The last part wasn't planned but he felt the bitter truth in his own words. He had felt threatened with the new arrival. Fearing that Tsuna would push him away now that his best friend had returned.

"W-what? You don't have to do this! I mean! You don't have to apologize! I-I... please don't do this!" His panicked face was so similar to Tsuna´s that Gokudera chuckled and felt his embarrassment disappear. "You really are too similar to Tsuna-sama."

"Uhm… I get that a lot… b-but I think that is not true…" Gokudera raised an eyebrow and smirked at the boy. "You're not the _same_ but you two are very similar. You know? Tsuna-sama really considers you his friend." Gokudera looked at the other, and tried to convey the sincerity in his words. "I have seen him interact with others and he isn't as open with them. You're especial to him…"

He hesitated a little but continued his apology "That's why I'm sorry… I just… I vowed to protect Tsuna-sama and I intent to do so until my dead. I would like for you to be his friend. If it's you then I have no complains…" He finally muttered with a small blush of embarrassment at all the flowery feelings, but the shy and surprised smile he got for it seemed to be worth it.

"I was going to see if Tsuna finished with his training, want to come?" Said the smaller boy and Gokudera spied the first aid kit in the other's hands. He nodded at him, taking the peace offering for what it was.

Yes, Enma Cozato would do.

* * *

><p>Xanxus glared at the man standing in front of him and the forty men at his back. At the right of Xanxus was Squalo, Lussuria and Levi. His most trusted men. The current leader of the Varia, Mario, had approached him five months ago and bluntly told him that he was against his father nomination for the candidate for The Tenth.<p>

The old man was a truly a veteran in the Mafia. He had led the Varia for solid twenty five years. Making the previous squad of twenty assassins into an elite squad of almost seventy five members. He was ruthless and ruled the Varia with a bloody, iron fist. He answered to no one, only to the Ninth and as far as Xanxus knew, this was the first sign of defiance to the Boss.

"Can you fight your own father boy?" Asked the man once more, and Xanxus snarled at him with his best glare in place. "Can you keep the pace old man?" He countered and received a similar snarl as an answer. "Or better yet, are you going to try to intervene when I kill the boss?"

The surprised murmur of the Varia members answered his statement and Xanxus felt his irritation rising. What had they expected, for him to hug the man and nicely ask for the throne? "As long as you make it dignified." Growled Mario. "Even if he is weak now, Timoteo has been an exemplary boss. He deserves a clean death." Said the man with a serious tone and a hard glare at him.

Xanxus just smiled nastily at him. "So says the man plotting his death with his son." The man didn't answer and Xanxus felt a little vindicated for the hellish first years when he had been under the man's thumb. Training on the Varia.

He had finally defeated the man a year ago. Leaving him broken and bleeding and gaining a reluctant respect from the man, and the complete fear and awe of all the Varia members. "We have everything ready. You and your team will have a clear path to the low levels. Remember: block 32, just under one of the paths leading to his office. You will have at least twenty minutes. We know that the majority of his guardians will be out of the main house tomorrow, but Nougat never leaves him alone these days. Can your puppies take him and perhaps the lighting guardian?"

"VOOOOIII Of course we can take a bunch of decaying old men!" Answered Squalo and glared heatedly at the puppy comment. "Just distract the other members. We need most of them alive, there is no use to make the Vongola fall to his knees." Said Xanxus and turned around without waiting for an answer. Leaving behind a Varia leader who was starting to doubt his decision.

He had seen Giotto as he grew up. The boy was mediocre at least. He was a pure Italian, a very desired feature for a Mafia Boss, but he seemed most of the time more interested in goofing around than leading his family. The boy only liked making friends with miscasts and odd individuals outside the family. Being the youngest, he had grown up not expecting to be the boss, and had become a weak naïve boy. More useful being married off to another family than as the head and hearth of the Vongola.

Xanxus on the other hand, was everything his brother wasn't. The man was ruthless and power hungry, vicious to those he considered enemies or obstacles. And unbelievable strong for being eighteen. He was barely a man and was already a powerhouse on his own. Xanxus and not Giotto was the right choice for the Vongola. And in the end it would be in Giotto's best interest as well.

* * *

><p>Tsuna ran, he pushed his legs to ran away as fast as he could. He could not remain on that place one minute more. He just couldn't. "Hello sweetness." Said an amused voice and he saw in horrified surprise as Reborn appeared at his side ridding a rocket of all things and dressed as… a fairy? The tutor was smiling sweetly at him, and that made him whimper in fear. "HIEEEE! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"<p>

"Oh? But I can't do that sweetness!" Said Reborn in a patronizing way and launched a net from a magically appearing bazooka, trapping him in it. "We have to make you ready to dance for Giotto's ceremony; it's your obligation as a member of his family to dance in it!"

"Tsuna took one glance at the frilly, horrible outdated tuxedo and the shiny shoes, that Reborn had in his arms and he screamed. With a burst of his flame, fueled by his desperation, he launched himself out of the net and ran for his live.

Reborn was distracted when the watch in his tiny wrist beeped. He looked at the screen where a tiny map and two small glowing dots in it appeared on it. "Ah… lucky Tsuna, it seems that the two little bosses managed to leave the mountains…" Reborn, in a rare demonstration of benevolence, postponed the dancing lessons and left to rescue his two little students from the traps he had installed in that part of the mountains.

The monitor of each boy showed a rapid heartbeat, but their vitals seemed stable and no life threatening. "Mm… perhaps they are being hunted by some animal?" Mussed reborn while entering the helicopter waiting for him at the roof. He nodded to the pilot and smirked at the two dots, either his plan had succeed and the two finally bonded or they had come to a truce of sorts.

G, the pilot, seemed to be at his wits ends. He had been getting more and more worried each day his best friend and future boss remained alone in that hellish mountain. What if Giotto died! What if he had some horrible accident? If anything happened to his friend he would kill Reborn, Arcobaleno or not.

* * *

><p>Giotto felt his legs too heavy. No, scratch that, his legs were dead weights attached to his person. He was miserable and terrified. He heard the mighty roar at his back from the grizzly bear following them, and continued to suppress the hysteric scream and the tears. What was a grizzly bear doing in Italy for God's sake?<p>

"It's coming, IT'S COMING!" Screamed Dino and he tripped once more, Giotto saw as the bear came closer to his friend. He saw red, calling his flame he launched himself to the bear barely managing to evade the claws, but his best punch seemed to only enrage the animal further.

"Giotto! Get away from that! Don't be stupid, you can't fight it!" Screamed Dino. "Start running then! I'm not leaving you behind!" Screamed back Giotto. Kicking the bear in the head, trying to stun the animal. The bear seemed disoriented by this but only to became feral in the face of his pain. The animal seemed to guide itself with his very sharp nose, because he almost took a chunk off the teenager's leg. These, Giotto concluded, was not a normal bear.

Giotto felt the air leave his lungs in a rush of air. Reborn was responsible for this, he was sure of it. He wanted to punch that smug little face. He wanted it so much he would pay for it. "G-Giotto…"

"What?" He snapped as he felt Dino's back pressing into his. "There's another one" Said Dino in a squeak and Giotto heard another growl at his back. He felt his knees almost give out under him. He was going to throw Reborn to a pit of snakes even if it was the last thing he could do.

"Dino, call you flame." He said to the other, not taking his eyes from the beast."I can't! You know that!" Said Dino in a weak voice. "Yes you can, concentrate! You either call it or we die!" He said with conviction. He felt Dino tremble and then steel himself, his body taut and firm. Then he sensed the tingling in his spine signaling a kindred flame near him. Dino had a sky flame of that he was sure. Dino gave a surprised shout and Giotto saw on the corner of his eyes as Dino's right hand burst into flames; a beautiful orange one similar to his own. He had been right.

The two bears seemed to be more enraged instead of frightened at the display, and they launched themselves at the two boys. Dino managed to hit the nose of one of the animals but the sharp teeth left him with a bloody arm. The bear, however, paused with a roar of pain. Giotto for his part, smashed his fist as close to the eyes as he could, but only managed to get weak punches. The snout was too large for more and he was too tired for gymnastics.

They ran away once more, their flames giving them strength but the two bears were young, fast, and deeply enraged. They found themselves once more cornered and sagged against each other, this was it, this was the end. One of the bears roared at them and Giotto refused to close his eyes, how many times he had heard it. Never, ever, close your eyes while fighting.

"Ciaosu!" Said a voice he had learned to fear, despise, and perhaps expect. "Reborn! You crazy man stop this!" He shouted in anger and saw as Reborn appeared in all his glory on the top of a big rock and looked down at them. He didn't smirk, sneer or winked at them, he just looked them over and then he threw something into to the air, something that was very, very big and bright; it divided itself in two big orbs. One of them remained floating and the other floated in front of Dino who instinctively grabbed the glowing things inside.

"Well that's one, but the other still seems to need more time." Said Reborn who reclaimed the other orb and continued to stare at them. Giotto looked at Dino who was now clutching a whip and a … turtle?

"What the hell is that?"He asked his tutor and Reborn smiled widely at his students. "Dino's tools, what else, Leon made the inside his belly, you should be grateful." Dino gaped at him, waving around the two items. "What do you want me to do? Open a circus?" Screamed Dino with barely suppressed rage, he wanted for him to train the bears to dance or something? A mighty roar ceased his protests and he dropped the turtle at them. A thunder accompanied the roar and Dino moaned in despair; just what they needed, a storm!

Without thinking, without considering his actions, Dino took the whip with the arm still surrounded by his flame and focused on the animal's front paws. He let go of the whip and it coiled snugly against one of the paws. He pulled hard on the weapon, making the animal fall on his snout, helped by the momentum of his race. He heard the bone in the paw snap and the bear whined and retreated, wary of the flaming whip. With slow movement he recoiled and went to the wood, leaving behind a small trail of blood.

The other, bigger bear, seemed even crazier at the appearance of the whip. Big, heavy drops started to fall from the sky, splashing on his naked skin with an icy touch. Dino snarled at the sky but the bear ignored the rain and started to charge to them. But suddenly it let out a startled whine and ran in the opposite direction. Dino saw a strange shadow at his back, growing and growing. And at his side, the pale and horrified face of Giotto. He then started to recite every pray he knew in his head.

Slowly, so very slowly he turned around and saw a giant turtle that seemed taken out of a Godzilla movie and felt his legs give out. His knees meeting the hard floor and just not caring because he was going to die, he was sure of it.

Something grabbed him around his waist and he was lifted higher and higher. He vomited in the middle of it, still clutching his new whip with almost desperation. He saw Giotto at his side looking disgusted at his now puked stained pants and Dino could not muster enough energy to apologize to him. He lifted his head and saw Giotto grabbing for dear life at a rope ladder connected to a small helicopter above them. Under them he saw the still raging turtle and just closed his eyes, deeply and completely spent.

* * *

><p>When Giotto opened his eyes it was to see a very enraged G screaming himself hoarse to Reborn. Who was calm and smug, sipping his coffee besides a merry fire. They were in a cave and it had stopped raining he noticed. Someone had been patched him up; his arms were covered in bandages as well as his torso. He saw besides him a sleeping Dino, who had the small turtle dozing at his side. How had they manage to shrunk it?<p>

Giotto felt his head throb and his body was so sore he just wanted to curl up and moan in pain. "Are you okay? Lay down Giotto, we are resting here until Cavallone wakes up." G, his wonderful friend put a cool cloth on his forehead that made his head hurt a little less. He sighed and mustered a half smile to his friend. G looked tired as well, with heavy shadows under his eyes.

"How are Tsuna and Hayato?" He asked in a hoarse voice scratchy from the lack of moisture in his troath. G smiled at him and gave him a small bottle of water that he had the sense to sip in small amounts. "They're fine, Enma is in your house, they're worried about you. We all were…"

"I'm sorry…" Apologized the blond. "It's not your fault…" Muttered G but glared at Reborn who took out his gun nonchalantly. Giotto ignored him, still angry at the 'test' "Mmm… please tell me you have real food, we have been eating just berries and roots and other…things." G didn't ask but gave him a juice to help him recover some energy, letting him drink before giving him some crackers. He had some light soup which Giotto demolished with abandon.

"How is Dino?" He asked, after resting for a while. "He is going to need some stitches to that arm and it's going to leave a heavy scar. He has some scratches and burns, a few bruises as well but he seems whole…" Said G with a frown at the other teen as if wishing for the list to be longer. "G, stop it. It wasn't Dino's fault either."

"You could have been out of there faster without him…" Muttered his friend and Giotto punched his shoulder lightly. "I wasn't going to leave him… we are friends now…He is okay G. He is just… unlucky. I think, and clumsy…"

"He reminded you of Tsuna?" Said G with a resigned frown. "You only get that look when thinking of Tsuna…Agh why must you collect all this idiots! Wasn't Knuckles enough for you?" Moaned G and Giotto knew that Dino had been accepted, albeit grudgingly.

Dino groaned and woke up, blinking dazedly at the cave and shouting in alarm when he saw a dozing turtle at his side. "Good morning." Said Giotto and G glared at the still screaming Dino. "Oy! shut it! It's your own turtle you cannot be afraid of it!" This made Dino shut up and blinked at G. "Who are you?"

"I'm this idiot right hand and occasional nanny." Said G pointing at Giotto who glared at him. "Just who are you calling an idiot?" Asked an insulted Giotto. "The one who fought a bear with his bare hands!" Said G with a sneer and Giotto had the grace to flush. "Yes well there wasn't a stick close enough!"

"It's mine?" Said a still confused Dino while poking the turtle on the side. The small amphibian opened one yellow eye to stare placidly at him. "Yes he is, it's one of the two items Leon made, the other being the whip." Said an amused Reborn, he then took out a completely drained Leon who seemed beyond the wasted state and seemed fragile and utterly drained. He had the smallest IV drip he had ever seen attached to one of the paper thin legs.

"He is tired…" Said Reborn and carefully tucked the chameleon inside the tent once more. "Here" He said throwing to Giotto one still glowing orb. "He made that for you Giotto." Said Reborn and Giotto caught the orb, shaking it and turning it around, it was warm and hard as a rock but very light… How had this fitted inside Leon?. "Okay… and what is this?"

"Who knows" Shrugged Reborn who got up gathered his things. "Come on, we have to leave Dino at his house, then we will go the Vongola. The ninth is waiting for you." Giotto was too tired to argue so they meekly followed him to the helicopter, Dino still poking his turtle with a puzzled look.

They left the boy with the Cavallone´s. Giotto and G explaining his injuries to the medical staff while Reborn spent fifteen minutes in conference with the boss. After that, they went returned to the helicopter.

Giotto stared at the blue clear sky and tried to calm his headache. The ring tone of Reborn's phone increased it, and he frowned at the baby. Who in turn frowned at whatever he was listening and then barked a continuously stream of orders through the phone. "Call the CEDEF at once, and lock up the mansion. And keep the third landing roof clear for us, don't let the news out of the family!"

Reborn glared and snarled at something invisible, and G took the silent command to speed up at maximum. Giotto felt his headache recede in favor of his adrenaline rush, there was something very wrong. He could feel it. "The main house in under attack." Said Reborn and Giotto felt his stomach drop in dread.

* * *

><p>Tsuna stared as Timoteo raised his cane; a flashing light atop of it. Xanxus' face was entirely focused on the other man, and his hands were on fire. The brunette had a very, very bad feeling about the outcome of that attack. Even though Xanxus looked scary and invincible, there was something about that flickering light of the ninth's cane that made him scared.<p>

Xanxus leaped. Intent on destroying the one he had called father once. But he was so focused in the other man that he didn't see the small form that stepped in between the two of them. His body however, reacted and attacked the interfering obstacle. His left hand launching a devastating attack; his hand met soft flesh and his eyes focused on wide scared caramel eyes. Eyes that never before had looked at him in this kind of fear, he looked down and saw how half of his hand was in the boy's chest, just centimeters away from the heart. A warm liquid started to trickle down his wrist and soaked his white shirt in deep red.

Tsuna made a gasp, not a whimper and not a cry. Just a sharp inhale of breath and wide scared eyes looked at him in panic and pain. Xanxus stared at the blood, so much blood. He took his hand away with a wet sickening sound and saw Tsuna slowly fall to the floor.

.

.

.

.

TBC

Muajajajajajajajajajajajajaja

Sorry, I couldn't resist….


	8. Chapter 6

So sorry, been out of contact- vacations- came back.

Merry Christmas! A Belated Gift To All_:

Especially THANKS to all the nice, good, generous people who likes to review, and all who fav this humble rambles! It keeps the musses working.

**WARNINg!:** Slight gore and violence. Mmm perhaps not too festive for the season… sorry…

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><p><strong>Chapter 6. The day we bled.<strong>

Gokudera pounded on the door while trying not to inhale the smoke, his vision was blurry and his chest hurt but at least he had managed to push Tsuna-sama out, at least he had gained the other boy a chance to escape. He refused to turn around and see the immobile bodies behind; the result of his bombing… at least one of them was dead.

"Shit! Open, open damn it!" He mumbled. He had always know that his bombs could destroy, maim, or kill. But he had never... "OPEN!" His vision became blurry from the lack of oxygen, and he coughed when the smoke continued to invade his body. The door opened with a crash only to let more smoke into the room and a horrible stench of melted materials. "Gokudera!" A large hand gripped his collar and dragged him across the floor. They were crawling, he suddenly realized. Tumeric had said to keep low on a fire, he recalled, and search for a wet cloth. He tried to keep conscious but the darkness invaded his vision.

* * *

><p>Tsuna stared at the men and women running around. He was shivering in fright and cold, hidden in the bushes; Gokudera had pushed him through a window and left him with a hasty order to hide.<p>

"AGGH!"

"THE VARIA!"

"TRAITORS!"

He clamped his hands over his ears at the screams of pain but he opened them when a bright light came through his closed eyelids. He looked in terror as one wing of the mansion exploded in a ball of fire. His hands trembled and his stomach clenched in horror. That night when_ they_ had come. When his house had disappeared in a ball of fire so similar to this.

_"Run Tsu-kun… I will follow…"_

He remembered the whispered plead and the shaky smile of his mother. He obeyed her. He had run away to the Garden and had just managed to cross the door when he felt a strong push in his back, like a enormous hand shoving him through the air like a small piece of paper. The heat and the flames devouring his home, and his mother had not come out…

Tsuna opened his eyes when another door exploded outwards, and saw the people that were part of the Vongola running and screaming with eyes full of anger and pain. His family disappearing once more in the flames. He felt the telltale warmth in his chest, the pressure wanting to be released, the heat and anger melting his barriers away.

He opened his eyes and ran. He felt detached, as if noticing the happenings trough a screen. Tsuna punched a wobbling pillar separating two of the quarreling groups; trapping each in a separated space. He ran through the corridors with a specific location in mind, letting the warmth and the heat to make the decisions, for the heat and the little voice in him knew exactly what and who to look for.

The corridor was blocked by a group of Varia members, and his eyes widened slightly. The man in the front recognized him because he tried to stop him without killing him. That few seconds allowed him to knock out two of them, managing to hit the points in the neck that he had never managed to hit in Fon-sensei's classes. He passed them in a blur of flames and missed gunshots, and screams at his back.

He saw a pair of men guarding the door of his destination and he glared pulling in one arm and making a fist. The two men shouted something, one of them shot at him and managed to graze his thigh, but he didn't stop, he punched the man in the side of his head just below the ear, and the man stumbled into his partner. He didn't stop there. Turning around, he kicked once, twice. Hitting the liver point, solar plexus, knees. The men fell to the floor and he kicked them in the head, making the two fall to the floor unconscious.

Tsuna continued to run without noticing his panting or the pain in his hands and thigh. He ran until he stopped at the sight of Timoteo and Xanxus in the middle of destruction, each one posed to strike the other, and he screamed in pain and rage and horror.

He had to stop this.

* * *

><p>Timoteo felt in his body every single of his lived years in the mafia crushing his breath and making his knees tremble. but he kept himself silent and tranquil, serene in the face of chaos, as a boss should, as the head of the Vongola should. Even when confronted with the boy, no, man, he considered his son. "Xanxus, how could you…" He repeated once more to himself, his arms ached, his back, every single part of him was tired and weary.<p>

"You senile old fart!" Sneered his son, covered in dust and blood. "I never would have thought you could be so powerful." Covered in wounds his own father had caused him. "Iemitsu asked me no to kill you." He said to the other. 'Because he knew it would destroy me'. He kept that part to himself and stared with sad eyes at his son. "But, with so many sacrifices, as the boss I cannot allow you to live." Neither would the allied families, they would call for his head on a platter, they would ask for him to be made and example, a bloody one...

"At least, I will personally…" He would at least manage to avoid torture, and pain. He felt a surge of disgust at his own thoughts and a pain so acute it seemed to tear his heart out of his ribcage. "Why… Why did you…"

"Shut up! You know exactly why!" Screamed his son, and Timoteo flinched slightly as the secret that he had hidden for so long was flung into his face. So many people had warned him about this day, he had not listened, he had avoided the truth and its consequences stubbornly.

He stared at the eyes of his son, for he had always been just that. "Now that you know I will kill you!" He saw not the anger and hate, he saw the child hurt by the lies, he saw the youngster embarrassed by his parentage and situation, and he saw the dirty and hungry boy asking him for a father…

He could not kill him…

He saw Xanxus leap at him, both hands gloriously enclosed in flames, saw the enraged eyes that were intent on killing the source of his pain, and he prepared himself to stop the flame with his zero point breakthrough. And saw a blur of orange flames appearing between the two of them, stopping his attack and making Xanxus stare in horror at his own hand, Timoteo felt dread when he recognized the small body and its beautiful flame, now extinguished.

"Tsunayoshi…." He breathed.

* * *

><p>Giotto almost jumped off the helicopter at the sight of the mansion, even though it was midday the flames were very visible from afar. As was the tick smoke escaping trough the windows, he let out a sigh when he noticed the infirmary untouched, and knew that at least his mother was safe inside, she had been there for a month already after suffering a heart attack, in this case it was fortunate.<p>

"Fucking hell!" Said G when they landed only to be received by gunfire, which was answered efficiently and deadly by Reborn, three attackers and three shots were needed to deal with them. Giotto stared in caution at the deadly look in the small baby, Gone was the calm and arrogant baby, in front of him was a deadly assassin who suddenly seemed to occupy more space than before, he could almost see the anger and blood-thirst as a tangible aura around him.

"You know who is doing this." Stated Reborn, he didn't ask and didn't hint he just stared at him coldly waiting for his input. "I'm not killing him."

"He is a traitor." Said Reborn in his same impassive voice. "He is my brother." Said Giotto in a hard voice. Reborn looked at him with a completely serious face. "He is not your father's son."

Giotto heard the sharp intake of G, and felt his own glare go up a notch. "He is my brother." He said firmly and didn't back down in front of the sneer it got him. "Well, at least you're not so much of an airhead little Giotto…"

G smirked at this and grabbed a gun from under his seat, Giotto frowned at his tutor and started running, he had a bad feeling, a very ugly foreboding about the attack. "Let us hurry.." Said Reborn who was also frowning at the chaos.

* * *

><p>"TSUNA!" He heard the voice of his traitor father, and heard the sound of people flooding into the room, but he continued to stare at the rapidly expanding stain in the shirt. A whimper made him focus once more in the boy, and his eyes widened at the clear amber eyes that were burning, orange and fiery, flickering between amber and then becoming once more its usual hue of brown.<p>

"Stop it! Please Xanxus-nisama!" Whispered the small child and Xanxus pulled his arm, finally understanding that he had stabbed the boy in the chest with his bare hand, his mind was myriad of images and sounds and a crushing feeling of guilt that he had never felt before.

Xanxus did something he had never done before, he tried to flee in panic. Tried, because a small hand grabbed his bloody one, and the boy attached himself to the hand that had so cruelly injured him.

"Let go!" He screamed at him, but didn't push the boy away, very conscious of the bleeding wound that was once again soaking him in blood.

"NO! She said the same! She said to let go!" Mumbled Tsuna, and Xanxus stared at him in confusion, clearly the boy was delusional. But the clear gaze, fiery and focused on him belied such thing, as were the thin arms firmly latched on him.

"Okasan… mama…said the same! She said to let go… and I did." Sobbed the boy and Xanxus understood the word for mother in Japanese, his own eyes widened in understanding. "I'm won't lose my family again I'M NOT!"

"Let the boy go Xanxus! You're surrounded!" Screamed the angry voice of one of his father guardians, but the man eyes were still fixed on the boy.

"STOP THIS!" someone stepped before him and he saw the back of Giotto to him, that small idiot that refused over and over again to stop pestering him. He was facing his father and the guardians shielding him and Tsuna from them.

"What the hell are you doing?" He whispered because his mind was still reeling at the impossible situation before him. Giotto turned his head and looked directly at him, gone was the eternal goofy smile and grinning face, gone was the nonchalant attitude and relaxed pose, before him was a pair of burning eyes and a deeply serious face, hardened in resolution.

"I'm protecting my brothers, what else?" Said Giotto in calm tone and face, he extended his arms shielding his bigger brother as much as he could with his smaller build.

"I'm protecting what is important to me."

Xanxus stared at him unable to form an insult and unable to push away the small body still griping his arm.

"If you want to kill him, you better shot me first." Said the blond in calm a collected voice. "I can't win against you, but I won't let you kill another of my brothers"

"Giotto! Xanxus is a traitor and he hurt Iemitsu´s son! Step aside before he kills you too!" Said Coyote who was pointing his gun straight to said traitor. But his shot was blocked by the two other bodies.

"That's enough!"

Timoteo walked calmly in front of Giotto, who stared back with the same firm gaze.

"I'm Not Backing Down" He informed to his father. He knew that this act could very well cost his, Xanxus, and Tsuna's lives, however he also knew that with the three gone the future of the Vongola would be in a very tight spot, at the very least he was expecting a harsh punishment.

"As you should…" Said the firm voice of his father and he smiled warmly at him. "I promise you, In the name of the Vongola that Xanxus will not be killed for this. However I think that Tsuna's wound should be our priority right now."

Giotto stared at his father for moment longer and nodded turning around and knelt to Tsuna's level, turning his face gently with his hands.

"Tsuna it's okay now, you can let go of Xanxus, and he is not going anywhere."

The boy looked at him then at Xanxus and then at Timoteo, his big eyes glassy with pain and panic, he shook his head and his hold tightened.

"Hey you little trash" Whispered Xanxus, and Tsuna immediately, as always, looked at him. "Giotto's right, I'm not going anywhere so stop being a pest, and let go."

Tsuna smiled weakly and opened his arms, instantly falling in a heap to the ground, Giotto watched with concern the quantity of blood on the boy and gave a hard glare to his brother who for once didn't met his eyes.

A medical team immediately snatched Tsuna and Giotto felt torn between following them and staying to safeguard what Tsuna had fought so hard for.

"I stopped…It isn't as deep as it looks." Growled lowly Xanxus, and Giotto nodded sharply.

The both looked at the boss of the Vongola, who, now, surrounded by four of his six guardians was looking at them with a hard, implacable face.

"I think that it's time that we talk, and no, it's not a request."

He turned around and the boys went meekly, being surrounded each, by two guardians.

* * *

><p>In the infirmary, the staff was in turmoil, they were being flooded with too many injured and with the house still in lockdown they could not call for help or start to send the more severely injured to another facility. It was becoming a veritable chaos.<p>

Tsuna was checked and found with three fractured ribs, torn tissues and a collapsed lung, he then was put on heavy sedation for the pain, Alessandra watched all the proceedings wincing when the doctor put a wide tube trough the chest wound to help inflate the lung again, the wound was then closed surrounding the tube and the whole ensemble was covered in gauze and a flimsy kind of patch, it looked painful and was surely to leave a heavy scar. The other, less threatening wounds, were left for latter. And the doctor ran to another patient.

Alessandra watched with sad eyes at the child, how could this small and so fragile looking boy endure the pain, when he was so quick to cry from small scrapes and cuts? She could hear the explosions still going on and prayed for his family, she had an idea about the happenings and knew that difficult times were about to begin.

She tenderly touched the soft hair, and smiled at the boy. Suddenly her hand clenched when a horrible pain invaded her chest, her legs gave under her weight and her vision became blurred, apparently her weak heart was finally giving she die? Now? Like this? "No…" She whispered. She could not die yet, not without passing her burden to another. But she was so weak, and she need to be conscious for the passing, her eyes rested on the small boy in the bed, and her early thoughts invaded her minds, she had considered the boy a few times, she had noticed the kind heart he possessed and his effortless acceptance of all…

She had considered another, that girl… who she knew, was truly unworthy and unfit for the role.

But….Tsuna? How could she do this? How could she give this burden to such a fragile boy? '_But he fought now' _Whispered a dark voice in her head. _'He endured months of torture, before'_ He was just a child she tried to reason to the dark voice inside her heart. 'He values Giotto above all others…'

He… he was perfect. A chocked sob and the sharp pain in her chest made her take a deicision. All the doctors were still tending the injured, even if she could drag herself to the door, could they help her? Would she open her eyes once more? She sobbed once more, guilt and fear increasing the oppression in her chest. Because a half of her had already made her choice, the part that was tired of shouldering this curse, the half that saw this pure sweet boy as the perfect replacement.

The half that was now moving her head and resting her forehead against the child's while the other half; who was a mother and the woman who had seen this small boy grow and laugh, cried in despair at her own actions.

"I 'm so sorry Tsuna…" She whispered, because the pain in her chest was the strongest one she had ever felt, she could almost feel the hand of dead brushing at her a half cry- half sob she bit her own lip making it bleed and kissed the innocent forehead smearing the white skin with more red, and closed her eyes starting the ceremony.

Tsuna opened his eyes, expecting the pain to come back, everything was dark. Where he was? His panicked thoughts immediately went to Xanxus and Giotto. Were they safe? He tried to turned his head only to found he couldn't. In fact he could not move any part of his body, he was frozen in place, he blinked once and felt the movement of his eyelids, but the darkness remained. Suddenly a small candle appeared before him, it was almost completely melted only a small puddle of wax and a weak flame remained.

**"Do you want power?"**

His heart sped up at the whisper but he couldn't move his head, he moved his eyes from one side to the other, but apart from the small flame he couldn't see anything else.

A second almost consumed candle appeared beside the first and a second whisper was heard.

"**Do you want money?"**

A third candle appeared.

"**What do you desire? We have power, would you like that?"**

**"What do you want the most?"**

A fourth and fifth one appeared and Tsuna began to panic. 'I want to know if Xanxus and Giotto are fine' 'I want to go to them'.

**"Are you sure? We can offer you all you can desire! Power, fame, money, would you like that?"**

**"You have been selected to be given power, would you like it?"**

A sixth and seventh appeared and finally an eight one all forming a circle because the light suddenly came also from behind.

'I want to see my family!' He screamed in his mind and suddenly he could move. He collapsed to his knees and looked around and chocked a scream because surrounding him was the strangest vision he could imagine. Before him, supporting the almost extinguished candles in pale hands, were eight figures, all dressed in white, but what made him shiver was that each one was wearing a goat skin.

He looked at the figure in front of him; which was the nearest, and took with wide eyes the details of the creepy costume, the skin was real, with the head of the animal covering the upper part of the person's face, the eyes of the animal were closed but bleeding and the pelt was filthy and ragged with strange brown stains and holes and parts of it torn, as if it had been ripped over and over again, he shuddered when the smell reached him, a metallic one he already recognized as blood, and the burnt smell of hair and flesh, he clamped a hand to his nose but the smell remained.

**"We offer you the power of the Capro Espiatorio. Would you take it?"**

He looked at the figure before him, the hands, neck and lower half of the face were the only things visible so he focused on that instead of the gruesome look of the animal skin.

"What?"

**"Would you like to protect your family?"**

"Yes" Said the child without hesitation, what kind of question was that? Had he not trained for months for that? Had he not endured all that pain and fear just for that very reason?

"**Really? Do you even know what do you wish to protect?"**

"Yes?"

"**Do you?"**

"Yes!"

**"No you don't"** Exclaimed a voice behind him and he felt something wet in his forehead and he touched it with trembling fingers, and returned with bloodstained fingers. At that moment images started to flow before his eyes.

His father shooting at a man at his feet.

'No'

Grandfather ordering the dead of a family, a burning house filled with screams and dying bodies. The normally kind man staring with cold eyes at a pleading pair of men, a nod to someone beside him and two shots pierced their heads.

'Stop'

Xanxus in the midst of a fight killing one man after another with an impassive face and cold eyes, as if stomping on an annoying insect. Reborn crouched in the dark besides a sleeping pair, resting a gun in her temple, shooting the woman in her sleep and leaving the room without a backwards glance, leaving her lover to find the body in the morning.

'Please!'

Squalo and Lussuria killing a group of men, with grins on their faces, Levi spearing a young woman and leaving her to slowly bleed to death.

'Stop it, please, please'

Two of the men that he had seen every day in the main house shooting at their enemies without flinching, one of them smiling pleasantly to the corpses.

**"Murderers"**

Blood running in a filthy floor, a man dragging his mutilated partner to the door.

**"Monsters**"

A small child staring at his dead family.

**"Killers"**

A smile at the sight of fallen enemies.

**"Sinners"**

With each word of the covered figures Tsuna flinched, the images making him tremble and cry in almost desperation.

"**Would you protect this filth?"**

**"Would you shield this people?"**

**"Would it not be better to destroy these sinners?"**

Images of his papa dead and bleeding in the floor, of the ninth vacant eyes, of Xanxus mangled corpse in some alley, replaced the previous images, the image of a tortured Giotto screaming in pain and grief for his dead family.

"NO, no, no, no, no!" He murmured with each image. Reborn small body torn to pieces, Fon gentle face scrunched in unbearable pain, Hayato sobbing and clinging to his dead cousin´s body, blood, blood, so much of it

"STOP IT! STOP IT!"

**"this is what they deserve!"**

"**Assassins must die by the same means, this is fair"**

**"This is justice"**

**"This is their retribution"**

**"Ten times the pain they caused!"**

"NO! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

Screamed Tsuna glaring hotly at the figures before him.

**"What of the families of those killed? What of those killed?"**

Tsuna faltered, how could he respond that?

**"WHAT OF THEIR SINS?"**

**"SOMEONE MUST PAY"**

**"IT IS FAIR"**

**"IT IS JUST"**

**"IT MUST BE PAID IN KIND!"**

**"SOMEONE MUST PAY"**

Tsuna stared and the figures, and recoiled at their words, once when he had started to live in the house, he didn't understand why everyone was armed and always so tense and alert.

Once, he had not understood why someone was always sporting some kind on injury.

Why Giotto trained with guns and fists.

Why sometimes he found hard and sturdy men shedding silent tears in some abandoned part of the gardens.

After he had been taken, he understood of pain. And hate and monsters. He understood that his family was involved in this scary world of blood and hate and screams.

But he loved them anyways. Because they saved him, they loved him. They watched him with kind eyes and touched him with gentle scarred hands and smiled at him with true faces, and tried very hard to hide their wounds and tears from him.

They were family, sinners or not. All of them, even the ones that pretended to hate him like Xanxus. Even the ones that made him feel pain to make him strong and dependable. Like Reborn and his crazy friends.

"I WILL PAY"

The images stopped at once, and he breathed deeply and found himself curled in a ball, shivering and cold, so very cold. The only sound what that of his chocked sobs and sniffles, of his ragged breath chattering teeth.

"**Will you?"**

**"Become the shield of this family?"**

**"Will you? Shoulder their sins?"**

**"Will you pay for what you didn't do?"**

"If I can, if I can help them I want to!"He nodded, trembling but resolute "Because I'm weak and small I can't do anything more. I don't want to see them dead." He said, glaring weakly at the figure before him, the eight figures whispered between them and stared at him, he could feel the eyes piercing his body, tearing apart his heart and thoughts, destroying his secrets and shields.

Then one, by one, each figure took of the goat head covering their faces and before him stood revealed five women and three men, all of them smiling sadly but kindly at him, and just in front of him stood his Aunt Alessandra, looking at him with tears in her eyes, gently, she approached him and kissed his forehead.

**"I'm so sorry to give you this burden, but I can't endure it any more."**

The second figure came to him; it was very beautiful woman, he could swear to known her. He had seen her face, somewhere, she approached and also kissed his forehead. **"I was the first one, my name is Elena."** She said and Tsuna stared at the kind looking woman.

**"We are those who gave their all to protect the Vongola."**

**"We have seen your soul and heart, and tested your strength."**

**"You pass, so you must become the shield."**

Each figure came before him and kissed his temple, each one whispering to him blessings and apologies in his ear.

**"We give to you the power to protect those you love, who do you want to protect?"**

**"Tell us Tsunayoshi. Who would you like to protect?**" Said Elena once more and approached him with something white and soft looking in her hands. It was a pelt a goat skin, completely white and whole. She put it on his shoulders and Tsuna suppressed the need of flinching. It looked very soft but it was heavy and uncomfortable, almost crushing his thin shoulders when that woman let go of it.

**"Another one must give you the candle, now who would you protect?"**

His mind was flooded with faces: of his father and of those who belonged to Vongola. And Enma and Cozart and clumsy Dino. The small Arcobalenos who liked so much to terrorize him. "Ah… Those with the pacifiers will be difficult, but with your flame it might be possible…" Said Elena and embraced him. "We will help you. Now, ignite your flame and let us help" Tsuna nodded, trusting the feeling in his heart to guide him, he closed his eyes and called to the flame deep inside him.

Pain like he had never felt before almost crushed his very soul he screamed and screamed, and then something snapped and settled inside him, somehow he knew that whatever was happening had finally ended.

It was done.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	9. The end

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:::::::::::::::::::

**Chapter 7: The day we parted.**

"This is rubbish…" Giotto glared at his father, his words still floating in the air of his office. Sacrifice? Scapegoat? Vongola blood?."It's the truth." Said his father. And Giotto shook his head, the truth being too ridiculous to even contemplate as real.

"No other family decides its boss by blood. Only the Vongola, and this is the reason." Said Timoteo, Giotto felt numb. He had, trough the years, made himself appear anything but boss material. Only to find that the very thing that marked him as such was something he couldn't change: his blood. "That is the reason why you can never be the Decimo Xanxus." Said Timoteo with his tired voice.

"You cannot believe this shit old man!" Said Xanxus in his deep 'I'm about to kill you' voice. "You can't tell me that the foundation of the Vongola is this..shitty superstition." Growled Xanxus, his eyes burning a hole in the other. Timoteo stared hard at his adopted son and calmly continued his tale. "I'm sure you remember when Lussuria went blind? You remember those months?"

Xanxus felt himself twitch at this. Of course he remembered those months. Everyone did. "I and every active member do. Who doesn't remember the 'devil's months´" He shivered at the memory of the days full of failed missions, hurt idiots, broken weapons at the most inconvenient times, failed communications, inexplicable accidents left and right. Xanxus himself had almost lost a hand at the time. It had been hellish months full of fucking… bad luck."Y-you… it can't" Xanxus felt himself doubt his own beliefs. He could not deny that perhaps one or two days where acceptable. But day after day of uninterrupted accidents could not be normal.

The ninth sighed and touched one slim fingertip to his eyelid. "Two, tiny, metal splinters that managed to pierce the eye nerve and principal artery of both eyes… completely by accident. A rare case. Bad luck." Said his boss, his pseudo-father. With a heavy gaze and the same tired and sad eyes he had directed at him. Guilty…"We, the Vongola, ever since Primo, never obeyed the rules of the mafia, we recruited foreigners, we have ties with the police and the church, we only obey our own codes, our very existence is a crime in the eyes of the mafia."

'Traitors'

'Fools'

"As such, the Vongola was the object of hate, envy and most of all a fervent desire for revenge." The ninth frowned and stared at his two sons, one by blood, the other by choice."Somehow, either intentional or unintentionally, this hate started to change in bad luck, we don't know how."

He got up and retrieved a worn diary from his desk, he let the worn diary on the coffee table and tapped it with one finger."Until one year. As Primo wrote in his journals, the Cervello family contacted him, they offered him a way to shield his family, for a price…" Giotto felt his head hurting. He felt guilt at those words, as if he was being reminded of his own wrong doings even thought they were not his. Right?

"He denied them thrice, but accepted at the end. That power was embedded into the Vongola and tied to two people: the boss and the Capro Espiatorio. The last one being a Vongola member who pleads his or her life to safeguard the Famiglia and its people from bad will and hate."

"I find it hard to believe that one person can survive all the shit from all these idiots" grumbled Xanxus.

Timoteo smiled in amusement at him but nodded warily. "Perhaps… but it's more complicate than that, it only shield us from outside interferences, our own actions determine our fate, the shield only prevents from outside forces meddling with us…" He tried to explain, but his sons didn't look too pleased with his words. "Bad will?" Mocked Xanxus, still trying to deny such concepts. The ninth nodded at him gravely. "In a nutshell, yes, karma, bad luck, curses, retribution, however you may call it, it had destroyed empires and civilizations, this is the truth however fantastical it may look."

"You should not be so skeptical about curses, since you have seen the Arcobaleno." Said a small voice from the door. "Welcome back Reborn, is everything allright?" Said the ninth and the hitman frowned and slowly shook his head."The lockdown is still in place, we are running a headcount. The head of the Varia is dead." Said the baby in a controlled and practical tone, Giotto shivered and Xanxus frowned more deeply. "Boss, I request permission to search the lower levels, there are some things bothering me."The ninth stared at his best man and nodded. "Keep me informed Reborn." He said finally and the hitman bowed in respect, leaving the room in a black blur.

Xanxus was looking at his father with a calculating gaze, a half smirk in place. "Who is it?, who is the Capro Espiatorio in this generation?" Said the man. Half frowning, half smirking. "No, I know who it is… all this time, all those talks about mercy and compassion and you offered your own wife to the slaughter. I'm impressed old man, so very fucking impressed."

Timoteo flinched at the accusation and nodded slowly, tiredly."Alessandra Edmonda, she is the eight one to take on this curse. The first being the wife of the first mist guardian. Elena." He said looking in the horrified face of Giotto and the cruel, mocking one of Xanxus' "The boss cannot nominate the shield. It's the shield who offers itself… the boss only accepts it or denies it." The ninth stared at his sons, not apologizing, not denying, just stating the cold truth. "Her cousin, the last shield, nominated Alessandra herself. A week after our marriage, a week before I became the ninth boss."

Giotto clasped his trembling hands and frowned, his head was pounding in synchrony with his heart, he just wanted to sleep for a while, just rest for a couple of hours. "…This is wrong…" He Whispered, and didn't reacted at Xanxus's snort. He was completely numb from the overload of the events. He barely reacted when Coyote; his father's guardian, came into the room. He just reacted at the siren blaring trough the speakers in the hallway. He blinked, when he caught the last words.

"…intruders in the infirmary and lower levels!"

He just felt the rest of his world crashing down.

* * *

><p>-One week latter-<p>

* * *

><p>Timoteo remained still in front of the beautifully carved sepulture that confined the body of his wife. His beautiful, strong wife. The man's face was hard as stone, eyes dry and his spine perfectly aligned. Untouchable. "Until we see each other again my beloved." He murmured and knelt in front of the grave, leaving a cheerful, multicolored bouquet of flowers. He rose to his feet, his face hardened a little bit more. Part of his humanity and soul left behind with the flowers.<p>

At the door of the mausoleum his storm guardian remained silent and watchful, completely alert to their surroundings. He followed his boss to the car and signaled to the driver to return to the main house, he allowed himself to take in the visage of his boss, who had gained at least five years in one week, he looked frail and hard at the same time. "Boss. The council has determined Xanxus's punishment, as 'a foolish and impressionable follower of his superior'…" Said the guardian with a sneer, he had wanted to kill or at the very least exile the traitor son, but he had been vetoed in the spot."And what they want for this sentence?" Asked the ninth already making plans in his head.

"After the dead of Signora Alessandra they understand the necessity of the family to be united, but they wish for an exile of sorts… and him for being under close surveillance."

Timoteo nodded and continued to look at the road."Mmmm… and Giotto?" The guardian hesitated a second, and then answered carefully. "He is still with Tsunayoshi… he refuses to leave his bedside" The Vongola were about to enter a very dangerous period. And the two candidates were anything but ready or in optimal positions.

"Please arrange a meeting for tomorrow, we must make plans for the future, and call Iemitsu once more. Is he still ignoring the calls?" Asked the Ninth, already knowing the answer to his was clearly uncomfortable with the theme and just nodded. "He… he is as efficient as ever boss, but he request to be given some… space"

"Call him, no excuses, we cannot have this meeting without him."

"Yes boss..."

* * *

><p>Giotto changed the flowers in the bedside table with fresh daisies and smiled at the child in the bed. "This are from the cook Tsuna?... Yes I though you would like them!" He conversed happily with the child. "G, promised to come today, he is still nagging me about ditching training and all that, but I don't care. How long it has been since we spent some time alone, uh?" He reached and took a small pale hand in his and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry Tsuna… so sorry…" He whispered, looking at the sleeping face of the child and clenched his teeth in frustration.<p>

They had detected a second series of attacks by a unknown enemy, who infiltrated alongside with the Varia. They had aimed for the secured vaults on the lower levels and also attacked the medical ward, searching for one of the doctors. Whom was later discovered to have been involved in shady medical trials with the Gesso. The man had been killed by a bomb that had also destroyed half of the wing.

They had found his mother's body covered in dust and debris. The autopsy declaring the cause of death a cardiac arrest. Tsuna had been found not too far away. Bruised and barely alive. He had been stabilized, but remained asleep. The doctors were starting to talk about brain injury and long term coma.

"You should rest more." Said a voice at his side and Giotto smiled at the newcomer. "And I was waiting for you to drag me in chains back to train" Said the blond to his so called Tutor. Reborn smirked. "Oh I wanted, but I must leave for a while, Fon and I, we have some urgent business." The small face was half covered by the fedora so Giotto only saw the half grimace, but it was enough to make him shiver. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something is happening and I must leave at once, consider this as vacations but make sure to keep up your training or you will be sorry." He warned him in a menacing tone, Giotto nodded distractedly. "Hopefully the little fish will be awake by then." Said Reborn, his face covered by his Fedora. "Hopefully" Answered Giotto and Reborn jumped in a flash effectively kicking his pupil's head.

"Don't you dare to give up on him, I have not. My students never fail. Tsunayoshi will have a hellish training when he wakes up." Giotto stared dumbfounded at his tutor and glared. "You can't be serious!" He said, and Reborn lifted an eyebrow in challenge. "I trust him and I accept him. That is what a family does." He declared and jumped out of the window, in his usual exit.

* * *

><p>The promised meeting was rapidly becoming a chaotic one.<p>

"What do you mean?"

"It's stupid!"

Shouts and accusations had been flying from one side to the other for almost an hour now.

"Nobody asked you!"

"Calm down!

"She is dead how can I calm down?"

Fifty nine minutes beyond Iemitsu's current tolerance levels.

"SILENCE!" finally growled the external advisor, his eyes bright and deadly and the large table full of Mafiosi went silent, the man was in a foul mood, in fact an almost visible aura of anger could be seen around him. "Ninth, if I may ask what are your plans?" He asked to the man in barely contained anger. He had fled the mansion as soon as Tsuna had been declared stable, in fear of leveling the building to the ground.

The head of the Vongola however didn't even blink at the turbulent emotions, he took a sip of his cold coffee and looked hard at the heads of his allied families. "The Varia has been suspended until a purge can be done. The CEDEF will be in charge of that. The Vindice has been notified about an odd number of possible new inmates." Pleased sounds were heard around at this and the man continued. "About the members they will be marked with a poisoned device on their bodies, as well as a tracking one. They will be on house arrest and if deemed worthy, will be reincorporated to the Vongola. This is final." He stressed out in a hard menacing voice and the men and women in the table nodded, most of them pacified with the solution.

"What about Giotto? How long is 'until he is ready?'..." Asked an almost bald man with a preoccupied gaze."He doesn't even have his guardians, nor has he finished his training. Also, he must have much more experience until he is ready. A weak boss is much more a treat than the lack of the shield."

Complains and grumbles invaded the room. Accusatory eyes stared at the chair behind Timoteo's. In it, rested a passive, silent Giotto. Who kept his eyes fixed on the carpeted floor, his hands resting in the armrest, relaxed and lax. He listened as the people in the room decided his fate and the fate of his family in a clinical way, he heard his accomplishment and fails being discussed as if he was a well bred dog in need of more obedience training.

"What about Tsunayoshi Sawada?" The question came from one of the new made allies, who didn't understand the grave mistake he had just done."My son" Said a cold, even voice. "Is currently in a coma, I went to speak with the doctor just before the meeting and it is been discovered that his flame has disappeared."

Giotto lifted his shocked gaze and stared hard at Iemitsu, looking for signs of lies in his face. The man stared back and Giotto felt his heart clench."Iemitsu, has it been confirmed?" Said Timoteo in a plain voice. The external advisor nodded. "I checked myself, I could not find even a trace of his flame."

Timoteo nodded and looked at the end of the table, where Shamal was trying not to fall asleep. "Perhaps we should wait for him to wake up, this has happened before with strong trauma." He said while looking at the freelance assassin and doctor for the Vongola. "And the majority of them didn't recovered, Tsuna is an undeveloped child still, his flame was already having trouble before this." Said Tumeric, who was behind his boss. Shamal nodded at this and continued in his drunken stupor.

"We shall wait, we cannot make hasty decisions with him, he will be protected until his recovery." Declared Timoteo and the meeting continued, the costs of repairing, and problems with security washed over Giotto. He could only see Tsuna smiling face when he discovered his flame, the delight he had shown at partially controlling it. The hours, and days invested in his training. All in vain.

He rose from his chair when the meeting was over and exited the room behind Iemitsu, with that simple phrase something had given inside of him, his path suddenly seemed clear."Sawada… Iemitsu, may I have a word with you?" He said to the blond man. The one whom he shared blood with, even if it was distant. "I have a proposition for you."

He would change the Vongola.

* * *

><p>G stared at the empty bed in the infirmary. The vase filled with sunny daisies clasped in stiff fingers. Besides him, Hayato was gaping in mounting horror at the plain, white bed. "W-here is he?" Asked the child in a terrified whisper. "He… maybe was moved for his security… don't worry, nobody in here would hurt Tsuna…" He said to his cousin, however a tight feeling in his chest made him doubt his own words. The infirmary was the safest place, or so they had believed.<p>

"Let's go to ask Giotto…" He said finally, and Hayato nodded stiffly, his small head still disheveled from the early awakening."And brush your hair for god's sake! You're looking more and more like a punk these days…" He said forcefully trying to arrange his head in a more orderly fashion. "Shut up! Look who is talking!" Said an enraged boy staring at G's un tucked shirt and messy tie. "You look anything but the next right hand of the Decimo!"

"Smart-ass" G just growled at him and pushed the boy trough the door.

They navigated the corridors at a rapid pace, when they finally found Giotto, he was in one of the gardens , calmly sipping tea with the boss Timoteo and Iemitsu, Giotto was sporting his perfectly pressed suit and looked all the bit the mafia heir."G, Hayato, what brings you two here?" Said his childhood friend, and G felt annoyance at the polite greeting."We were in the infirmary, Hayato and I, Was Tsuna moved to another place?" He said directly and frowned when the three men stiffened at this. "You could say so." Said Giotto staring at the lush grass in a detached way."Tsunayoshi is going to be removed from Italy, for his own protection. As such his location is going to be a secret."

"Is he going to another Vongola facility until he recovers then?" Tried again G because he could not fathom the implication of those words."No, he has been removed from the Vongola, he will no longer have any tie with the familia, he has been declared dead."Gokudera advanced a step, and G put a hand in his shoulder to restrain him."WHAT!" G stared at the fuming Hayato, who was looking lost and enraged. "How could you do that?"

"Tsunayoshi was gravely injured several times, and also has lost his flame, for him to remain in the familia is as good as a death sentence." Said Timoteo, and he looked at the two horrified boys in front of him."Giotto!" Said G, seeking for any emotion in his friend."Yes?" Asked a too calm blond."Are you okay with this?" Questioned his friend, staring in anger at Giotto. "Of course, it's the best for Tsuna and for us." Said the blond in calm, steady voice, the same guy who panicked if Tsuna scrapped his knees, and almost went in shock when he learned that the small boy was kidnapped was now calmly sipping tea in front of him.

"How… you know that Tsuna is scared of being abandoned, you know that this is the worst thing you could do to him!" G accused, his mind and instincts declaring the plan a complete error. "He is young he will get trough." Said Iemitsu, he glared at G with a warning countenance. "We know that Tsuna is going to be sad for a while, but at least he will be alive." He felt the small shoulder tense under his hand and he pushed harder, making his cousin stay in place. "Where is he?" Said Hayato still trembling in barely contended rage. "I'm his bodyguard! I have to be by his side!"

"You can barely protect yourself, you think I would put my son´s safety in your hands?" Said Iemitsu in a cold voice. G gaped at him and Hayato paled in fury but kept his mouth shut."That means, that if you approve of me I will go?" Asked the child, trembling in humiliation and anger."Only, If you become the best." Iemitsu glared harder at the willfully boy but nodded sharply. Hayato just glared at the three men who ruled the Vongola and made a stiff bow running away.

"Giotto… this, this is wrong. I understand that this is for his safety, but Tsuna is long past the age to just move on without a care, this may destroy him…"Pleaded G one more time, trying to make Giotto realize his mistake."He is safe…" Said Giotto with a tone of finality and stared hard at his friend begging for him to drop the issue.

"Of course Decimo" He said in a drawl, he inclined his head at the three men. "if you would excuse me." G clenched his hands and departed with a little more dignity that his cousin, just barely.

Timoteo stared at the two men seated in front of him, his intuition was screaming at him that the two of them were into something. "Is Tsuna going to be dispatched to San Marino?" He finally asked and Iemitsu nodded at him."He is, they have strict orders to care for him and to never contact us. Officially Tsuna is dead, until the time he wakes up." He said and Timoteo looked at his son, who continued to calmly sip his tea.

"I have decided to abandon the school as it was proposed father. However I want' something in exchange. I want for the pill in my brother's neck to be disabled. And for the Varia to be instituted as a independent team." Timoteo stared in confusion at his son "Why as a independent team.?"

"Because otherwise they will be limited in their actions, the remaining member are just ten in number, with them Xanxus can start a new force, and also prove his loyalty by his actions. You said that the Vongola will be most vulnerable during the next months, we cannot afford to lose more men." Giotto stared at his father, his face unreadable and completely calm. "I will become the boss without a fuss, but these are my demands."

"Why to give Xanxus leadership of the Varia?" Asked the ninth, in full boss mode. "Xanxus is power-hungry this will only make for trouble in the future." Asked the man in a wary tone."Because, he is my brother and he is the best one for the job." Said the teen and stared at his father with open caution. "If he becomes a problem he will be mine to deal with." Timoteo closed his eyes, considering the ramifications of this, but finally nodded. "Very well…" Sighed the old man, he frowned and then smiled lightly at his son. "Not now but when things calm down a little I promise you that the Varia will be revived."

"Under Xanxus command."

"Under your brother's command decimo."

* * *

><p>The most curious thing about luck is its unpredictability, the scariest thing about bad luck is especially that. The unknowns.<p>

The Vongola were once at the edge of destruction by luck. Which made its members to be extremely paranoid and triple check their plans.

It was perhaps a very good idea for Iemitsu not to choose one safe house but five, two in Estonia, Two in San Marino and one in Rome.

It was a bit too risky to be the only one in possession of the way of contact each one and their location.

It was, perhaps, a bit too extreme to enroll people outside the family to care for a kidnapped child who should be kept at all costs unaware of his status in the disguise of an a forced adoption.

It may had been a bad idea to expressly forbid any kind of communication with him, and to tell them not to be worried if the child in question never reached their location, after all he didn't want to kidnap four other children to fill the empty houses.

It was a intelligent thing to hire a professional smuggler to deliver a sealed casket of "delicate china" to the port of Civitavechina and to leave it in certain ship at certain hour at the same time that the same operation was taking place in other four ports.

But…

It was a struck of bad luck that the man he hired to receive the casket in the Civitavechina port suddenly came down with a bad case of a seafood intoxication and could not receive the cargo.

It was an unfortunate event that the smuggler had a chance encounter with an old friend, whom proceeded to demonstrate his appreciation of him by the means of a handy knife in the heart.

It was perhaps a bit too much of a bad thing that such man was also immersed in intercontinental smuggling and took with him the casket full of delicate tea cups.

It was an incredible, most surreal incident that the ship; Ikomasan Maru, with destiny to the port of Hakata in Japan suffered an out of season typhoon and crashed against the mean rocks near the shore.

But… perhaps it was just by luck that only one survivor was found, a child, unconscious, with Asian features and dressed in just white soaked pajamas and with no identification, and almost no injuries to show that he had survived such a tragic event.

But of course all the nation would have been impressed by the miracle survivor… but just by luck he was found by a fisher, almost twenty-five kilometers away from the site of the accident, besides an open and crushed casket. And so, the good man delivered the child to the local hospital.

We, perhaps must assume, that it was just by a chance and an impossible series of events, that the pediatric ward of said hospital was full of children with a epidemic of atypical measles. Because of this, the lonely survivor was sent to the nearest available facility, for his continued care.

Perhaps we just may believe, that it was just by mere luck, that our unidentified Sawada Tsunayoshi was deposited in the general hospital of the little, candid town of Nanimori.

But we may ask, by good or bad luck?

* * *

><p>:::::THE END:::::<p>

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Just kidding :)

**The sequel to this story is already up and it is called The lost lamb :D**

**So if you liked this story, please continue to give your support to he sequel!  
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